Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2016

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding it was incurred during active duty. Service connection for a bilateral eye condition is denied as the Veteran's pre-existing condition did not worsen in service.

The September 2008 and May 2010 rating decisions denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and gout respectively. The Veteran's claims have been reopened but not substantiated.,New evidence submitted in May 2011 includes a VA examination report indicating that the Veteran developed bilateral plantar fasciitis from military service. This new evidence relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim and raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, including exposure to noise during his military duties.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus.

The Veteran's current tinnitus manifested in service, has continued since service, and is etiologically related to service. The Board finds that the criteria for service connection for tinnitus have been met.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not render him unemployable, as he has been able to work in positions where he could use his hearing aids. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that these disabilities prohibit the Veteran from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, lower extremity neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy, and tinnitus have been granted. The conditions are found to be related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim was withdrawn. The Board granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, residuals of an insect bite to the left groin (claimed as a knot on the leg), and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, depression and anxiety).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure and granted service connection for this condition. However, there is no causal link found between the Veteran's tinnitus and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance or housebound status has been denied as he does not require regular aid and assistance from another person due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's tinnitus and headaches are found to be due to the VA treatment he received from 1997 to 2007, specifically the medications prescribed for his hypertension. The Board finds that these outcomes were not reasonably foreseeable.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral pes planus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his active service. Service connection was denied for hepatitis C due to lack of evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination for his service-connected coronary artery disease and addendum opinions regarding his bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and erectile dysfunction claims.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have arisen during his active duty for training and has continued since, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and right ear hearing loss, finding that these conditions are due to the Veteran's military service. The claim of service connection for left ear hearing loss is remanded as it requires additional medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran currently meets VA criteria for a diagnosis of Meniere's disease and if so, whether this condition is related to his military service or caused by his newly service-connected tinnitus and right ear hearing loss.

The Board found that the Veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service, as there is no evidence of chronic symptoms during or within one year after service. The VA examiner opined that the current conditions are more likely due to natural aging process, post-service noise exposure, or a combination of these factors.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss, and initial disability ratings in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus, major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder, residuals of a gunshot wound of the left buttocks, and surgical scar of the left buttocks were all denied. The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease was not reopened due to lack of material evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of a nexus between the in-service noise exposure and the current disabilities. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's hearing loss or tinnitus were incurred during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, including bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. Service connection was also denied for a mouth/jaw disorder due to lack of evidence showing such a condition exists. The claim for dental compensation purposes was also denied as there is no evidence of a compensable disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service, including noise exposure. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or disease for these conditions.