Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2017

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus and right ear hearing loss. However, it is not clear whether these conditions are related to his military service or if they are secondary to his service-connected left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and analysis.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inadequate VA examination for migraine headaches and the need for translation of Spanish documents in the claims file.

The Board found that the Veteran's sensorineural hearing loss in his left and right ears did not manifest during service, did not display the required chronology of symptomatology, and has not been shown to be related to service. The same was true for bilateral tinnitus.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral tinnitus is granted as the evidence supports a finding of in-service acoustic trauma and continuous symptoms since separation from service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is entitled to service connection for tinnitus and an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The remaining claims are dismissed due to withdrawal of appeal.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and residuals of cold injuries to the upper and lower extremities, as well as service connection for sciatic neuritis. The claim for low back injury was not addressed due to pending development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis for a back strain, bilateral hearing loss, or tinnitus. The acquired psychiatric disorder is also denied as there is no competent evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The issues of bilateral hearing loss and atrial fibrillation are being remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and onychomycosis. The Veteran's current conditions are presumed to be related to his in-service noise exposure.,Service connection is also granted for a low back disability.

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 Veteran's reduction in the rating for bilateral hearing loss from 70 percent to 50 percent was not proper due to failure to follow procedural requirements, and the original 70 percent rating is restored.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be incurred in active service, and the claim for service connection is granted. The hearing loss claim requires additional development as the June 2013 VA examination is deemed inadequate.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to their death. No claims have been decided.

The Board has remanded the TDIU claim due to incomplete information and need for additional development, including an addendum opinion considering the Veteran's current enrollment in a vocational rehabilitation program.

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

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss and TDIU were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for bilateral hearing loss, as his audiometric results only reached Level VIII at worst. For TDIU, the Veteran was unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his in-service noise exposure and/or service-connected PTSD, resolving all reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, thus the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's thoracic and cervical spine conditions, along with related nerve involvement of his lower extremities, have been evaluated based on their current manifestations. The evaluations are denied as they do not meet the criteria for higher ratings.,Service connection for tinnitus has also been denied.