Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2017

The Veteran's tinnitus claim is dismissed. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current hearing loss disability related to service, and his lumbar spine disorder is also related to service. No rating assigned as no specific issue was resolved.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus before the Board could issue a decision.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are granted as service-connected, with the Board finding that these conditions were incurred in service. The Veteran's pulmonary disorder is not service connected.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss in both ears and tinnitus, finding new and material evidence to reopen his previously denied claim of service connection for hearing loss in the right ear. The Veteran is also found to have a current diagnosis of tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, granting both claims.

The Veteran is found to be unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disability are currently rated as noncompensable. The Board finds that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of these conditions based on the applicable rating criteria.

The Veteran's current diagnosis of bilateral mixed hearing loss is etiologically related to his noise exposure in service.,The Veteran's tinnitus is also etiologically related to service or caused by the service-connected hearing loss.

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

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and residuals of a left hand injury. The Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service exposure to loud noise during combat in Vietnam.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (hearing loss and tinnitus) do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus and his service, including noise exposure. The Veteran's hearing loss was not shown during service or within one year after separation, and there is no medical opinion linking it to in-service noise exposure.

The Board denied the claims for service connection for chronic peripheral neuropathy affecting the arms and legs with loss of equilibrium and Dupuytren's contracture, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence received since January 2011 did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus and left ear hearing loss, as well as his claim for a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss. The decision found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has granted presumptive service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus based on continuous symptoms since service separation, which meets the criteria under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303(b).

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, or lumbar DDD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service acoustic trauma, and thus service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and left hand/finger injury are related to his service, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.