Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete records and need for further examination. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is being reviewed, as are his claims for tinnitus which may be secondary to his hearing loss.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, with evidence at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions began during or were aggravated by service. Service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD). The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have originated during active service, while his GERD may or may not have begun in service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type II as due to herbicide exposure, coronary artery disease (CAD) as due to herbicide exposure, and left lower extremity amputation secondary to service-connected CAD. The Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service in Thailand.

The Board denied service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, lumbar sprain (low back condition), left lower extremity nerve condition, and right lower extremity nerve condition. Service connection was granted for tinnitus.,Service connection was not established for the claimed conditions due to lack of current diagnoses or evidence of functional impairment.

Service connection for a right knee disability, right shoulder disability, tinnitus, and lumbar spine disability is granted.,A rating of 40 percent for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability is granted.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is granted service connection as presumptively caused by exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The claims for left ear hearing loss, a left eye condition, tinnitus, lung disease, heart condition, hypertension and hypertensive heart disease, deep venous thrombosis, left arm embolism, edema, and erectile dysfunction are all remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's ringing and buzzing in his ears since active duty service is likely due to noise exposure. Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss as there is no evidence of onset within one year of separation from service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's tinnitus is service connected. The issues of PTSD based on military sexual trauma, an acquired psychiatric disorder including anxiety, depression, nervousness, and sleep disturbances, and migraines or tension headaches as secondary to an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was received to reopen the claim for service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's current disability of tinnitus is supported by competent and credible evidence, including his own consistent statements about having had ringing in his ears since service. Therefore, service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of tinnitus is at least as likely as not a symptom associated with his diagnosed bilateral hearing loss. The Board also found in favor of the Veteran on his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD has been withdrawn.,The claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened due to the submission of new evidence that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection for intervertebral disc syndrome (low back disability), stomach disability, esophagus disability, and cervical spine disability are remanded for further development.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for residuals of a left total knee replacement is remanded.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for anxiety disorder prior to February 27, 2017, and in excess of 50 percent thereafter is remanded.,The Veteran's appeal for entitlement to a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, but the issues of service connection for a shoulder condition, residuals of a back injury, bilateral hearing loss, disability manifested by earaches, tinnitus, and headaches are remanded.

The Board granted service connection for a cyst along the left posterior inferior glenohumeral joint with irregularity of the posterior labrum and chronic left shoulder pain, tinnitus, and right knee strain and chondromalacia. The back disability was denied as there is no current evidence of a back disability.

The Board has decided that service connection for tinnitus is denied, and the case of bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for bilateral tinnitus and an acquired psychiatric disorder, but the issues of low back disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and polyneuropathies of fingertips are being remanded due to inadequate examination findings.

The Veteran's low back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are all found to be service-connected. The low back disorder is linked to an injury sustained during a period of active duty for special work in April 1993. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are believed to have developed during the Veteran's active service from May 1985 to June 1986.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.,Regarding the psychiatric disability claim, the Board has remanded it due to conflicting medical opinions and a need for further examination.

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 noise exposure.,Service connection is also granted for a psychiatric disorder including anxiety, depression, and PTSD.