Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2016

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and left ear hearing loss are related to his service, but he does not have a right ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus, finding that there is at least an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding whether his current tinnitus is related to acoustic trauma in service. The appeal of hypertension was withdrawn by the Veteran prior to a decision.

The Board has determined that tinnitus was incurred in service, and granted the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran's reports of ringing in his ears since being exposed to loud noises in service are consistent with the circumstances of his service and with his military occupational specialties. The currently demonstrated tinnitus was caused by in-service exposure to excessive and harmful noise.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and tinea cruris.,All three conditions are related to the Veteran's active military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for his left hearing loss, tinnitus, or any of the other service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation during the period from March 2007 through October 2008.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical intervertebral disc syndrome and bilateral hearing loss, as well as his service connection claims for obstructive sleep apnea and tinnitus.

The Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not shown to be related to his active service, including exposure to acoustic trauma. Therefore, the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as he failed to report for scheduled VA examinations without showing good cause.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for kidney disease and TDIU. The Veteran was found not to have a current disability related to kidney disease, and his combined rating did not meet the criteria for TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA examination to address the severity of his residuals from pilonidal cystectomy and perirectal sinus. The claims for service connection are also pending.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current tinnitus originated during service, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus. The lower back disability issue remains pending.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be caused by in-service exposure to excessive and harmful noise, warranting service connection. The lumbar spine degenerative arthritis claim is remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of right ear hearing loss, and his left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected due to lack of continuity of symptoms since service separation. The VA-contracted examiner found no relationship between the currently diagnosed conditions and service.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and does not meet the applicable criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD. The preponderance of the evidence is against finding that his diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorder was present in service or for many years thereafter, and has not been shown by competent and probative medical evidence to be etiologically related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal was allowed as a timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) was filed in response to the October 2007 VA rating decision, which denied service connection for thyroid gland condition, feet tendonitis, hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran did not receive proper notification of the decision until after the deadline for filing an NOD.

The Veteran requested to terminate his appeals for increased ratings and TDIU, effective upon receipt of the withdrawal request in June 2016.

The Veteran's Meniere's disease is rated at 100% effective July 19, 2013. His hearing loss and tinnitus are separately evaluated.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.