Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened, and the Board finds that both conditions are related to his military service. The claim for chronic headaches is remanded as it involves a secondary basis.

The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus, a right foot condition (sciatica), and erectile dysfunction. The conditions are all considered to be related to the Veteran's active service.,Service connection was also granted for the Veteran's right foot condition as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine sprain. Service connection for erectile dysfunction was granted based on its onset during service.

The Veteran's lung cancer is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure in service. His bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus. The claim is granted as both conditions are found to be related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's PTSD, since October 9, 2013, is rated at 50 percent disabling. The TDIU claim was granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and aortic valve replacement. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions are related to military service.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus is not related to his military service due to a lack of evidence showing noise exposure or injury during service.

The Board denied service connection for low back disability, cervical spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus.,There is no evidence of a current disability in any of these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral tinnitus was caused by service, and the Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the current condition and his military service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the current condition and his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hand locking and weakness, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus due to potential service connection issues. The claims will be reviewed again after additional examinations are conducted.

The Veteran's tinnitus in the right ear is found to have started during service and has continued since then, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, as he is capable of performing sedentary work.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, warranting a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection. The Veteran's PTSD is granted but with a rating of 50%.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for sinusitis is granted, and his claim for tinnitus is also granted. The issue of service connection for sinusitis is remanded.

The Board found no error in the June 2009 rating decision's calculation of the combined total rating of 60 percent and denied the Veteran's claim for a higher combined rating.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claim for asthma. The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no current disability as defined by VA regulations. Service connection for a right finger disability and a bilateral foot disability were also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and asbestosis are related to service. The Veteran was exposed to noise in service which is considered a presumptive exposure for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of tinnitus was denied as the evidence did not support a finding that his tinnitus had arisen prior to March 27, 2012.