Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2016

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes in his right ear and therefore cannot establish service connection. For his left ear, while he meets the criteria for a current hearing loss disability under VA regulations, there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease resulting in such a disability. The Board also found that tinnitus was not incurred during service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for appropriate VA examinations to assess his service-connected knee conditions. The appeal will be remanded to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ).

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes and finds no evidence of tinnitus that is related to service. As such, the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder, prior to July 14, 2009, was manifested by occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas. The Board granted a 70 percent evaluation for this period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis and gastroenteritis were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability. The Veteran was found to have bilateral hearing loss during service, which meets the criteria for service connection under VA regulations.,Tinnitus was established based on the Veteran's credible contentions that he has had this condition since service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are causally related to his in-service noise exposure, resulting in a grant of service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied. The Board also dismissed the claim for a higher rating for lumbosacral spine disability due to withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are found to be related to his active duty service, granting the claims for these conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be related to his military service, and he is granted service connection for this condition. The issues of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for thyroid cancer secondary to asbestosis, entitlement to service connection for a respiratory disability, entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus, entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the right knee, and entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for posttraumatic arthritis of the bilateral thumbs are addressed in the Remand section.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the evidence does not support a finding of a current disability related to his active service. The Veteran has received an initial compensable rating for tinnitus and a noncompensable rating for right eardrum perforation.

The Veteran's service connection claims for tinnitus, hearing loss, eye problems, dizziness, anxiety, depression, gout, diabetes mellitus (type II), and peripheral neuropathy have been granted. The effective date is not specified as the decision was issued in October 2016.

The Board has determined that tinnitus was incurred in service and granted the Veteran's claim for this condition. The issue of bilateral hearing loss is being remanded as it requires additional development.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding new and material evidence. The Board also granted service connection for both conditions as they are found to be related to active duty service.

The Board has reopened the claims for left knee disability, tinnitus, and obstructive sleep apnea. The claim of bilateral hearing loss remains denied as new evidence does not show a current disability for VA purposes. The Veteran's eye condition (glaucoma) is also being remanded for further examination.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and the residuals of bilateral NAION. The heart disability issue is remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current tinnitus.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete verification of his periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA during his service in the Air Force Reserves. Additional VA medical opinions are needed to determine if the current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service.

The Veteran's skin disability is not service connected, but his tinnitus is presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to noise.

The Veteran's tinnitus, hearing loss, and bilateral upper extremity sensory polyneuropathy are all found to be related to service. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD based on verified in-service combat experiences. The claims for skin disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and other conditions are also granted as new and material evidence has been received.