Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2016

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, as well as earlier effective dates for service connection, were denied. The current disability ratings are considered adequate to address the average impairment in earning capacity caused by these disabilities.

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.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, including exposure to acoustic trauma. As such, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that his current tinnitus is related to his military noise exposure.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his active military service. The bilateral hearing loss disability does not meet the criteria for a current disability as defined by VA regulations.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as his conditions are found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus and chronic mastoiditis were not related to service. The case is being remanded for further clarification from a VA examiner.

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

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus related to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, and the Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current hearing loss or tinnitus disabilities for VA purposes and therefore service connection is denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his service, including periods of active duty or National Guard service. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred during service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no current disability, and the evidence does not show that any current conditions are related to service.,There is no current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus. The Veteran has provided conflicting statements regarding when she first noticed these symptoms.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, while diabetes mellitus (type II), peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities are not. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions had their onset during service or are otherwise etiologically related.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be the result of acoustic trauma in service, and his left elbow disability is found to be at least as likely as not related to service. The Board grants service connection for both conditions.

The Board finds that the Veteran has PTSD due to multiple traumas experienced during Vietnam, including fearing for his life and the lives of those around him. The Veteran's symptoms include nightmares, flashbacks, avoidance of reminders of the trauma, emotional numbing, anger and irritability, sleep disturbance, an exaggerated startle response, and hypervigilance.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is as likely the result of noise exposure in service, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus. The issue of bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal on all issues related to bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, PTSD, and a sleep disorder prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as any relevant VA treatment records. The case will be remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional information regarding his employment as a consultant to determine if it qualifies as marginal employment, which could affect the determination of TDIU.