Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were incurred in service, with no presumption of service connection applicable.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for his service-connected back disability and tinnitus, finding that the RO relied on STRs associated with the file after initial denials to grant service connection. The Board also found no evidence of tinnitus prior to June 19, 2014.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including obstructive sleep apnea, migraine-type headaches, lumbar myositis, cervical myositis, right (major) shoulder impingement syndrome, right knee sprain residuals, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and tinnitus, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. Therefore, he is granted a TDIU.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be etiologically related to service, thus the claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus for VA purposes, and thus service connection cannot be granted.

The Veteran is granted service connection for tinnitus, as his tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus is dismissed as without legal merit due to the finality of the September 2011 rating decision. The Board also found no clear and unmistakable error in that decision.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, sleep apnea, dermatitis and skin disorder, headaches, and PTSD as they have already been granted by the RO.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted. For tinnitus, the Board found it at least as likely as not related to service. However, for bilateral hearing loss, the evidence did not meet the criteria for a current disability.

The Veteran's service connection for tinnitus is granted, and his rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to June 27, 2013, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has found that new evidence supports reopening of his cervical spine condition claim. However, the Board denied service connection for both the cervical spine condition and DDD of the lumbar spine as there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to service or any presumptive period.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. His diabetes mellitus and heart disorder are denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings on various service-connected conditions have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for a low back disorder and finds that new evidence supports a finding of nexus between his in-service injury and current disability. The claims for tinnitus and hearing loss are also granted.

The Veteran is granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus.,Service connection has been established based on in-service noise exposure during active duty.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are found to have had their onset during service, with the opinion that these conditions were present since service. As a result, both conditions are granted service connection.

The Veteran's asthma, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus claims were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating for asthma or service connection for bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to in-service hazardous noise exposure, and the Board finds that service connection for tinnitus is granted. The claim for pulmonary embolism remains pending as additional development is needed.

The Board has determined that additional examinations and opinions are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's increased ratings claims have been denied as his conditions do not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent under applicable diagnostic codes.