Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his military noise exposure during active service.

The Veteran's TDIU and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits were granted effective March 9, 2013. The Board denied earlier effective dates for both claims.

The Veteran's intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical spine disorder, left knee disorder, left foot disorder, OSA, and dermatitis are all granted as service-connected. The conditions were presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to herbicides.

The Board has determined that there is at least a 50% likelihood that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected. The Board found that the evidence was in equipoise regarding whether these conditions were related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new allegations of worsening symptoms since the last examination.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and psoriasis, but dismissed the claims for bilateral hearing loss, sinusitis, and bilateral knee condition.

The Veteran's service connection claims for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are granted. Tinnitus is considered a direct service connection as it began in service and continues to the present. Bilateral hearing loss is also granted due to its chronic nature noted during service and post-service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and tinnitus has been granted. The Veteran is entitled to a compensable evaluation for his service-connected hypertension.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of right ear trauma, diagnosed as hyperacusis and tinnitus. The Veteran's current symptoms are found to be related to his in-service right ear trauma.

The Board found no evidence to support service connection for bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus, as the preponderance of the evidence did not show a relationship between these conditions and active service. The Veteran's claims were denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for further evaluation and consideration of his conditions.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability. The Veteran's claim for tinnitus is granted based on the reasonable doubt in his favor regarding its onset during service.,The Veteran's claims for fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome are both granted, with the latter being considered part of the former due to overlapping symptoms.

The Veteran's service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus are rated at 30 percent, but the Board finds that these conditions do not meet the criteria for a TDIU due to their combined rating being less than 70% and there is no evidence of unemployability.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient development of evidence, particularly regarding whether the Veteran's symptoms can be separately attributed to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for tinnitus, anxiety disorder, right ear hearing loss, and left ear hearing loss due to new evidence or further medical evaluation. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with these issues.

The Board has restored service connection for hearing loss of the left ear, but denied service connection for hearing loss of the right ear and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to noise exposure in service. The Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not considered related to his military service.

Service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, including depressive and anxiety disorders, is granted.,Service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy, headaches, hearing loss, and tinnitus are all denied. Service connection for degenerative disc disease is granted with a rating of 50 percent effective from April 5, 2016.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to inadequate medical opinion.