Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The cases of bilateral hearing loss and a psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes, and hearing loss, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from October 15, 2012 to December 15, 2017.

The Board has remanded all issues due to incomplete VA treatment records and the need for new examinations. The Veteran's PTSD, depressive disorder, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, and malaria are among the conditions being reviewed.

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

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including sleep disorder (to include sleep apnea), cold injury residuals of the hands, low back disability, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, stroke, craniotomy, and headaches have been denied. The cases are remanded to obtain clarification on the Veteran’s periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA, and for further medical examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to unclear dates of Army Reserve service and incomplete STRs. The AOJ is also asked to verify the Veteran’s exposure to radiation while working as a telecommunication specialist near radars at Fort Hood, Texas, and his exposure to herbicides and pesticides while stationed at Fort Gordon, Georgia.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to his military noise exposure during service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there was no evidence of a chronic condition during or within one year after service, and the Veteran's current symptoms are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a back disability is granted as new and material evidence has been submitted. The Veteran was denied service connection in December 1993 due to lack of evidence, but the current submission includes allegations by the Veteran regarding an injury during military training at Fort Benning, Georgia, and additional medical records establishing a current back disability.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for an eye disability is denied. The Veteran has been diagnosed with refractive error, mild allergic conjunctivitis, bilateral senile cataracts, and open angle glaucoma suspected. His current hearing loss was not caused by or related to his diabetes mellitus.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted as there is evidence of a current disability (sensorineural hearing loss) and in-service acoustic trauma has been conceded. The Veteran's hearing was normal at discharge, but he developed sensorineural hearing loss many years after service without continuity of symptomatology.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability (tinnitus).,The Veteran's claim of service connection for Barrett's esophagus is denied. The Veteran does not have, and has not had during the period on appeal, a disability consisting of colon polyps.,The Veteran's claims of service connection for colon polyps, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diverticulitis, hemorrhoids, and GERD are all denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or any link to his active service.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is denied. The Veteran does not have, and has not had during the period on appeal, a disability consisting of colon polyps.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for diverticulitis is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or any link to his active service.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for hemorrhoids is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or any link to his active service.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for GERD is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or any link to his active service.

The Veteran's left ankle disability, tinnitus, asthma, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have been granted service connection. The Veteran's PTSD has also been granted a 70 percent rating.,Service connection for hearing loss was dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied as there is no evidence of a formal or informal application prior to March 3, 2015. The effective date cannot be earlier than the date of receipt of the claim.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and an examination to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, is related to service.

The Board denied service connection for compression fracture and osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.,Service connection was denied as there is no evidence that any of these conditions began during active service or are otherwise linked to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Veteran's left shoulder degenerative joint disease with impingement syndrome is rated at 10 percent and denied for a higher rating.,Service connection for low back pain is denied as there is no evidence linking the condition to service.,Service connection for bilateral knee pain is denied due to lack of evidence connecting the condition to service.,Service connection for tinnitus is denied because it was not incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment from July 26, 2007 to October 16, 2012. The Board finds the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions alone preclude the Veteran from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

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

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and migraines due to incomplete VA medical records and a need for further development.

The Board has denied service connection for residual cold injuries of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, as well as for BHL and tinnitus. The denial is based on a lack of current disabilities associated with in-service cold injuries.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) based on his service-connected PTSD and other disabilities.

The Veteran was granted TDIU from August 17, 2016 to November 7, 2017 due to his service-connected disabilities. Effective November 7, 2017, the issue of TDIU is moot as he now has a combined rating of 100%.