Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for right hip disability, hearing loss, and tinnitus with an effective date of December 3, 2009. The Veteran's claims for other disabilities are denied.

The Veteran's appeals have been withdrawn, and the Board does not have jurisdiction to decide them.

The Board has granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, hyposmia as a residual of oral surgery, and headache condition. Service connection is also granted for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), eczema of the bilateral lower extremities, and residuals of oral surgery. The Veteran's current diagnoses are found to be related to his service in Southwest Asia.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during his active service and is related to his service, while hypertension may be due to presumed in-service herbicide exposure. The issue of whether hypertension is aggravated by PTSD remains pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diagnosed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are etiologically related to service, including his noise exposure during active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for heart disease, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision found that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure during service, which precluded presumptive service connection. For heart disease, the claim was denied as there was no in-service onset or continuity of symptoms after discharge. For bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, the Board noted that while the Veteran reported noise exposure, there is insufficient medical evidence to establish a nexus between his current conditions and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are a result of his VA-administered pegylated interferon and ribavirin treatment for hepatitis C.,VA medical records indicate that the Veteran experienced sudden onset of these conditions during his treatment, which was not foreseen by reasonable healthcare providers.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection, but his initial compensable rating for pes planus prior to June 3, 2015, and in excess of 30 percent from that date was denied.

The Veteran's tinnitus has been granted service connection as it is considered a chronic disease incurred in or aggravated by active service.,Service connection for traumatic brain injury (TBI) cannot be determined due to insufficient evidence.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during his active duty service and granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus and fracture of the right fifth finger do not render him unable to obtain or maintain gainful employment.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to substantiate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, including obtaining post-service treatment records from Mercy Hospital.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted as his service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran experienced acoustic trauma in service and had current hearing loss disability. Service connection was also granted for tinnitus, with the Board resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran. The issue of service connection for sinusitis is remanded.

The Board has determined that the March 2014 VA medical opinion is inadequate and remands the case for further development, including a new examination by an appropriate medical professional to consider the IOM report on delayed onset hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings and earlier effective dates for his service-connected tinnitus was denied as there is no legal basis for a schedular evaluation in excess of 10 percent or an effective date prior to August 21, 2013. The Veteran does not have other disabilities that would warrant separate evaluations.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as potential in-service noise exposure.

The Board has ordered a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service. The case is being remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for a TDIU as his combined rating is at least 40 percent, but he does not have one disability rated at 60% or more. The adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood has resulted in no more than mild to moderate occupational impairment.