Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2014

The Veteran's tinnitus, left ear hearing loss, and right ear hearing loss have been granted service connection. The Board found that the Veteran had a current tinnitus disorder since onset in service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his period of service, thus denying entitlement to service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have hypertension during service or within one year of separation, and there is no competent evidence linking his current hypertension to service. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were also not shown to be related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's request for a videoconference hearing. The appeal is not about service connection at all, but rather other issues related to compensation and rating.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for tinnitus, which is a condition that can be related to in-service noise exposure. The Board found the Veteran's statements credible and concluded that his tinnitus began during service and continued regularly since then.

The Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to her active service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The hearing loss claim remains pending as a VA examination was not conducted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus with an effective date of March 26, 2009. The claim for a back disorder was reopened and granted.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical evidence and to schedule the Veteran for an examination to determine his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not entitled to an effective date prior to September 2, 2008 for a grant of service connection for tinnitus. The claim for PTSD was denied as the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis related to verified in-service stressors.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active service, but his bilateral hearing loss did not have onset during active service and was not caused by active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnosed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to noise exposure in service, meeting the criteria for direct service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The issue of bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's request for a Travel Board hearing. The appeal is not ready for final disposition.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to acoustic trauma during active military service, and the Board finds that service connection for tinnitus is warranted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision also noted that the Veteran did not have a diagnosed PTSD due to a sexual assault during her military service.

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

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining his VA treatment records and scheduling him for a VA audiological and podiatry examination to determine the etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for tinnitus has been withdrawn. The issue of whether the rating reduction from 10 percent to noncompensable (zero percent) for bilateral hearing loss, effective March 16, 2011, was proper is being remanded.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to his military service, including acoustic trauma from weaponry while serving in Vietnam. The VA examination report concluded that these conditions were not caused by or a result of military noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been remanded due to the need to obtain additional evidence, including VA audiological treatment records and occupational noise exposure records. The case will be further reviewed after these records are obtained.