Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2016

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to his in-service noise exposure and acoustic trauma, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have tinnitus or any ringing in the ears that relates to service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection for tinnitus. The appeal regarding PTSD remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and development of records. The issues include service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, chronic sinusitis, and sleep apnea.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cardiovascular disorder, tinnitus, traumatic brain injury (TBI), eczema/xerosis (claimed as skin rash), numbness of the fingers, and erectile dysfunction.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and an updated VA examination. The Board will consider his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, tinnitus, skin conditions, and coronary artery disease, in determining whether they preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a respiratory/lung disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board dismissed the appeal for a higher rating for tinnitus and dismissed the pending appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection of tinnitus. The Veteran withdrew his claim for a higher rating for tinnitus at his hearing before the Board in December 2015.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active service, and he has a chronic bilateral eustachian tube dysfunction that does not require frequent or prolonged treatment. The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for the eustachian tube dysfunction is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, ear disability, and acne keloiditis of the posterior head was granted. A compensable rating (10%) was assigned for acne keloiditis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for the issues of entitlement to service connection for an ankle disorder, hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus, a blood disorder, and a dental disability were denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or persistent symptoms during the period of the claim.

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus was incurred in service and granted service connection for this condition. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is pending as it involves a different theory of service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a hearing and issuance of a statement of the case regarding service connection for a cervical spine disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development regarding his claims of service connection and exposure to herbicides. The issues include prostate cancer, tinnitus, right ear hearing loss, and left ear hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the claims of service connection for allergic rhinitis, tinnitus, and a sleep disorder. The claim for an increased rating for major depressive disorder with schizoaffective disorder remains pending.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his abnormal mitral valve with congested heart failure and multiple knee injuries, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to July 26, 2013. Since then, he has been in receipt of special monthly compensation (SMC) due to aid and attendance/housebound.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection, hypertension is denied as secondary to a service-connected disability and bilateral hearing loss is rated at zero percent prior to May 25, 2010.

The Veteran's claims for increased PTSD rating and service connection for bilateral hearing loss were withdrawn. The Board found no current diagnoses or evidence of a left shoulder, left arm, or left hip disability. Service connection was not established for tinnitus due to lack of in-service exposure.