Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and needs further examination.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus as the evidence did not show a relationship between the condition and active duty service.

Service connection for PTSD, ischemic heart disease, and tinnitus is granted. Effective dates are set for these grants. Service connection for dementia and bilateral hearing loss is remanded. An initial rating in excess of 10 percent for ischemic heart disease and a TDIU are also remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,Bilateral hearing loss disability has not been established as a current disability for VA purposes.,High cholesterol is not considered a disability for which service connection can be granted.,Hypertension and prostate disorder are not found to have begun during active service or be related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,Service connection for prostate disorder is denied.

The claims for TDIU and an increased rating for major depressive disorder are being remanded due to insufficient medical evidence. Additional VA treatment records, including those from non-VA providers, need to be obtained.

The appeal as to tinnitus was granted and dismissed as moot. The claim for reopening of hearing loss was granted, but the remand order requires further development before a decision can be made.

The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus and left ear hearing loss, but denied for right ear hearing loss.,Service connection is also granted for hypertension and Bell's palsy.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and a heart condition, including ischemic heart disease and occlusion and stenosis of the carotid artery, are being remanded due to new evidence received since previous decisions. The claims will be evaluated on their merits.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for squamous cell cancer, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to potential etiological links to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The Veteran's squamous cell cancer claim is being referred for a medical opinion, while his hearing loss and tinnitus claims are also being referred for an addendum opinion addressing the 15 decibel shift between induction and separation examinations.

The Board has denied all service connection claims and increased rating claims for various conditions, including carpal tunnel syndrome of the left wrist, sinusitis, obstructive sleep apnea, coronary artery disease (CAD), bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a sliding hiatal hernia with associated gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with noncardiac chest pain.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied in May 2010 due to lack of current diagnosis and no established link with service. New evidence submitted since then does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied in May 2010 based on a finding that his tinnitus is not related to service. No new evidence received since then establishes a link between current tinnitus and service.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for left ear tinnitus due to a grenade explosion during basic training, as there is insufficient evidence regarding the etiology and continuity of symptoms.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus on an extraschedular basis, as well as whether secondary service connection is warranted for neurological or acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service. The evidence is at least in equipoise regarding whether these conditions began during service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations. The issues of service connection, rating in excess of 50 percent for chronic headaches, and TDIU are all pending.

The Veteran's initial evaluation for recurrent bilateral tinnitus is denied. The Board has remanded the issue of an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of proper documentation and examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connection is established.,Service connection for a bilateral hip disability is denied due to lack of in-service injury or chronicity.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection. The Veteran is also granted a 10 percent rating for hemorrhoids prior to September 14, 2016, with no higher rating thereafter.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, varicose veins of the lower extremities, and prostate cancer have all been denied. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.,Prostate cancer was not shown during service or within one year post-service, and there is no credible evidence connecting it to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection, as is his prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, and SMC for loss of use of a creative organ. The skin disorder of the feet claim was denied.