Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2017

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not prevent her from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not present during active duty or to a compensable level for many years thereafter, and are not otherwise etiologically related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that his current tinnitus is related to in-service acoustic trauma from working on the flight line.

Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as these conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.,Service connection was previously denied for ischemic optic neuropathy due to lack of evidence linking it to herbicide or radiation exposure. The claim has been withdrawn.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to military noise exposure during service, and the Board finds in favor of granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome of the lumbar spine is not manifested by any limitation of motion, muscle spasm, ankylosis or incapacitating episodes requiring bed rest prescribed by a physician. The Veteran does not have bilateral hearing loss disability that was incurred in service.,There is no evidence showing that the current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss disability is related to the Veteran's active military service or had its onset in the first post-service year.,The probative evidence of record shows that the Veteran's current tinnitus is not related to his active military service and is more likely due to his nonservice-connected hearing loss.,The probative evidence does not show a relationship between the Veteran's nummular dermatitis and service. The condition was present prior to service and no increase in severity during service has been shown.,The pre-existing nasal obstruction did not increase in severity during service, and the surgery conducted during service helped to correct and ameliorate the pre-existing nasal obstruction resulting in improved breathing; no resulting disability is shown.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to noise exposure during his military service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

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

The Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to the acoustic trauma sustained in active service. The Board finds that the evidence for and against the claim is at least in equipoise, thus granting entitlement to service connection for tinnitus.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral knee disability, hearing loss, and tinnitus did not have onset during service or were caused by service. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, and he is granted service connection for hearing loss in both ears. The right ear hearing loss claim requires a new medical opinion as the July 2013 VA examiner used an incorrect standard of review.

The Veteran has withdrawn his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, so the appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded to obtain updated treatment records and to schedule him for VA examinations to determine the nature of his current psychiatric, hearing loss, and lung conditions. The Board will also seek clarification on whether service connection is sought for any other conditions.

The Veteran's application to reopen his claims was granted, and he is now entitled to service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claims for tinnitus and perforated eardrums were denied as new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of proving the conditions.

The Veteran is found unable to obtain and sustain a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected PTSD and headaches.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, specifically his incontinence from prostate cancer, rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board finds that entitlement to a TDIU is warranted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, so the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is denied.