Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2014

The Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected as it was aggravated by his military service, and the Board finds in favor of granting service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active duty service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the cause of the Veteran's death and its relationship to service-connected conditions. The appellant seeks service connection for the cause of her husband's untimely death, which was attributed to a severe asthma attack exacerbated by his service-connected PTSD.

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than September 18, 2009 for the grant of service connection for tinnitus. The decision is based on the fact that the next communication from either the Veteran or any representative was received on September 18, 2009 when he filed a claim to reopen.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were granted effective June 9, 2009. The Board found that no earlier effective date is legally possible under VA regulations.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to service, with the Board resolving reasonable doubt in his favor. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes and his tinnitus did not originate in service. Therefore, the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with noise exposure being a significant factor. Service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and found that the Veteran's tinnitus is as likely as not related to his active service. The claim for an increased rating for acne of the back, neck, and face and service connection for low back disability to include neurological and muscular residuals are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and any relevant medical records from Dr. M. M.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active duty service.,There is no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus and his military service.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown to be related to his military service, as they were first noted many years after separation from active duty.

The VA determined that the Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have arisen in service and has continued since, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining National Guard service treatment records and providing supplemental VA medical opinions on the etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during service and the Board finds that a supplemental opinion is necessary to address the hearing threshold levels shown at separation under relevant ISO-ANSI standards. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss may be related to noise exposure in service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, sleep apnea, and hypertension were denied. The claim to reopen the hypertension was also denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.