Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2014

The Veteran was found to be unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, resulting in a TDIU being granted.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to service, while his otitis media is not considered incurred or aggravated by service.,Right ear hearing loss claim is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus conditions. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, but his low back and hip disabilities are not. The eye disability claim remains unresolved.,Service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions has been denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder was denied in the July 1986 Board decision, and no new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen this claim.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The claim is granted as it is at least in equipoise regarding a relationship between the Veteran's current tinnitus and an in-service incurrence.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain medical records and verify service dates. The Veteran's claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being reviewed, but a decision on whether they were incurred in or aggravated by service is pending.

The Board finds that the Veteran has current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which are related to service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are etiologically related to his military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for loss of tooth number 10, hearing loss, and tinnitus have been granted. The conditions are considered to be due to the natural progression of their respective conditions without any direct link to service or exposure.

The Veteran's chronic low back strain was found to be aggravated by his military service. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were reopened due to the submission of new evidence.

The Veteran's major depression with psychotic features, type II diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are presumed to be related to his service in the Republic of Vietnam. The left knee disability is not shown to be related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not attributable to his period of military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, but his left ankle condition and PTSD are not. The Veteran was provided with a VA examination for PTSD in August 2011, which found no current diagnosis of an ankle condition or PTSD disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a chronic disease in service or continuous symptoms after service separation. The Veteran experienced noise exposure during service but his current hearing loss does not meet VA criteria for a disability. Tinnitus was found to be related to service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, low back disability, neck disability, bunion right foot, and bunion left foot were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus was denied in a February 2005 rating decision. The RO did not receive a timely substantive appeal with respect to this issue, and thus the decision became final.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service acoustic trauma, but there is an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding whether these conditions were caused by service. The decision grants service connection for both conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and arranging for a skin examination to assess the severity of his warts. An addendum opinion on tinnitus and its etiology will also be needed.