Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and tinnitus, have prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment throughout the appeal period.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are not ready for decision due to a lack of certain records. The VA is instructed to obtain any relevant Social Security Administration (SSA) records, as well as any private treatment records or lay statements from the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted, and his increased rating claim for Intervertebral Disc Syndrome (IVDS), C3-4 (neck) in excess of 20 percent is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete service records and unclear periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, ADSW, or INACDUTRA. The Veteran's complete service personnel and treatment records need to be secured and verified.

The Board denied service connection for right knee, right foot, tinnitus, and right sciatic nerve disabilities. The Veteran's current disabilities were not found to be related to service or due to exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are being remanded to obtain updated VA treatment records, conduct a psychiatric examination using the DSM-5 criteria, and determine if sleep apnea is related to his diagnosed conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The case is remanded to verify the Veteran's claimed exposure to herbicides during layovers in Vietnam.

The Board has granted the claim of service connection for tinnitus, finding that the veteran's current diagnosis is related to his in-service noise exposure. The appeal was reopened due to new evidence provided by a private audiologist and VA examiner.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and MDD). The Veteran's claims are being remanded to obtain new examinations and treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was dismissed due to his death.

The Board has remanded the claims for tinnitus and hepatitis C due to inadequate opinions from VA examiners. The Veteran's service connection claims are being returned for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, tinnitus, sinusitis, and rhinitis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to inadequate VA examination reports.,The Veteran's heart condition, including PVCs, is being remanded as the VA examination report did not address his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, migraines as secondary to tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder as secondary to tinnitus due to inadequate examination reports.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the evidence of record is at least in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran’s tinnitus had its onset during his active service, and thus grants the claim. The issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains remanded due to insufficient rationale provided by the April 2013 VA examiner.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for hearing loss. The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his in-service noise exposure, while the hearing loss is not.

The Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, including back pain, radiculopathy, and knee strain.

The Veteran's tinnitus is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if it is related to his military service, including hazardous noise exposure as a radio operator.