Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2014

The Veteran's tinnitus disability is related to service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with a rating of 10% for residuals of a right wrist fracture and an initial evaluation higher than 10 percent for irritable bowel syndrome. The gastrointestinal disability other than IBS, hiatal hernia with GERD as residuals of helicobacter pylori infection, and tinnitus are all found to be related to service.

The Board has withdrawn the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hand disorder, to include arthritis.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus and allergic rhinitis and sinusitis.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year following service discharge, and there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a nexus between these conditions and service. The preponderance of the evidence is against the claims.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus during service and concluded that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, which is secondary to his service-connected tinnitus, has been remanded due to the need for additional development and an addendum opinion regarding whether the hearing loss is proximately due to or aggravated by his tinnitus.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is found to be related to service, and service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his active military service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus that is attributable to his military service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board found no evidence of a service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to lack of continuity of symptomatology since service, and the VA examiner's opinion that current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to military noise exposure. The Veteran's statements regarding continuity of symptoms were deemed inconsistent with other evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The effective date for awards of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is set at October 4, 2012.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as 20 percent disabling under Diagnostic Code 6100. However, this rating is not higher than the maximum allowed based on his audiometric test results.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are etiologically related to noise exposure during active service, and grants these claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to withdrawal of appeals for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus issues. The anterior chest wall scar is rated as noncompensable, with no significant effects on daily activities or occupation.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including a new VA examination by a physician qualified to determine the etiology of any ear disabilities present during the period of the claim.

The Board determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of in-service acoustic trauma or a chronic condition during service. The examiner opined that it is less likely than not that the Veteran's hearing loss was caused by his active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and industrial background.

The Board found no evidence of a current hearing loss disability under the VA criteria for service connection, and denied all three issues related to service connection.

The Veteran's claims of increased rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and service connection for tinnitus are being remanded due to the need to obtain VA treatment records and provide a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing service records and further examination is needed.