Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2013

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with no indication of intercurrent causes. As such, these conditions have been granted service connection.

The Veteran's tinnitus was first manifested during active duty service and the Board finds that it is at least as likely as not related to his military noise exposure. As such, the claim for service connection for bilateral tinnitus is granted.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to military service, and grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus as secondary to his service-connected hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need to locate a May 2004 private hearing examination referenced in the April 2010 VA examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus was caused by his active service, to include noise exposure therein and the Board granted service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the evidence supports the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, and thus the appeal is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is not shown to have developed as a result of an established event, injury, or disease during active service. Therefore, the claim for entitlement to service connection for tinnitus is denied.

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus is likely related to her military service and has granted service connection for this condition. The acquired psychiatric disorder claim, however, was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability attributable to service.

The Board has determined that service connection is warranted for migraine headaches. The Veteran's consistent reports of headache onset and continued struggle with symptoms since discharge from active service are credible, and the absence of medical evidence to the contrary supports this finding.

The Board has found no evidence to support the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The Veteran's post-operative residuals of a bilateral epididymectomy have also not been rated higher than noncompensable.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the claims on appeal can be decided. Specifically, VA medical examinations are required for tinnitus and right shoulder/bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not have onset during active service, were not caused by an event, disease, or injury during active service, and are not related to any in-service noise exposure. As a result, the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination findings and new evidence needs to be obtained. The Veteran's hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension claims are being reviewed.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his in-service noise exposure, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence supports a link between these conditions and in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to active service and the Board has granted entitlement to service connection for tinnitus. The issue of bilateral hearing loss is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's representative suggested in November 2010 that his tinnitus is associated with his service-connected hearing loss, and provided several citations from The MERCK Manual in support of the contention. In February 2011, the Veteran submitted a statement documenting his recollection that his tinnitus began following his service in the engine room of the U.S.S. Truxton. The Veteran also confirmed that he did not have tinnitus prior to service on board the ship, but that he did experience it during and after his ship duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss, but finds in favor of service connection for tinnitus based on continuity of symptomatology since service.