Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to outstanding records and a need for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of headaches secondary to his service-connected tinnitus is being remanded due to the need for a new medical opinion.

The Veteran's PTSD disability is rated at 70 percent prior to August 14, 2015. A TDIU is granted for the period prior to this date.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal of his sleep disorder was dismissed as he requested to withdraw the issue.,Service connection for a low back disorder, diagnosed as scoliosis, is granted. The Board found that the Veteran’s current condition is related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during active duty service due to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disability. The appellant's claims will be reviewed again with additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of infected blister of the right foot was denied as there is no permanent residual or chronic disability. The initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus and compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss were also denied. Service connection for hypertension secondary to PTSD with alcohol use disorder was not granted.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his service connection claim for tinnitus and established that he meets the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

Service connection for tinnitus is granted. An initial 10 percent disability rating, but no higher, for a left knee scar is granted. The Veteran's claims for service connection of ear problems and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, but has remanded the issue of service connection for skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma) due to lack of evidence regarding herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for tinnitus and hearing loss disability due to insufficient service treatment records and missing audio report. The claims will be reviewed with additional information provided.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the current disability element and in-service element have been met, and affords the benefit of doubt to the Veteran's claim due to his credible reports of ringing in his ears during and after active service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of an addendum medical opinion considering recent literature on delayed-onset hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal for a prior effective date for his tinnitus disability rating has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, specifically questioning whether these conditions are related to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be etiologically related to his period of active service.,The Veteran's depression is found to have originated during his active service.,There is no current diagnosis of soft-tissue sarcoma, and the claim is denied.,There is no current diagnosis of cataract surgery, and the claim is denied.,Cholesterol is not considered a disease or disability under VA law and regulations, and the claim for service connection for dyslipidemia (claimed as cholesterol) is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, as they are presumed to have been incurred during his active military service due to noise exposure.

The claim of whether new and material evidence was received to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension is dismissed.,Entitlement to service connection for a heart condition, to include atrial fibrillation (claimed as ischemic heart disease, heart disease, and coronary artery disease) is dismissed.