Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a nexus to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are granted as service connected, with the decision favoring the Veteran due to an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus is causally related to his service, and therefore grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities from February 4, 2016, finding that he engaged in substantially gainful employment and did not meet the schedular criteria for TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the specific conditions remain unresolved.,Service connection has not yet been established for all of the claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for tinnitus was granted, but his claims for hypertension and erectile dysfunction were remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and analysis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and a low back disability have been reopened. The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active service, but finds that additional development is needed before deciding the claim of service connection for a low back disability.

The Veteran's peripheral arterial disease and tinnitus are granted as service connected. The Board found the evidence supported a finding that these conditions were caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus for the peripheral arterial disease, and was incurred during combat service in Vietnam for the tinnitus.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted, with the condition having onset during active service.,Service connection for a left elbow condition is denied.,Lumbar spine multi-level degenerative disc disease and right elbow lateral epicondylitis status post tendon repair are remanded due to unclear periods of service.,Plantar fasciitis and hypogonadism/low testosterone are also remanded, with the same issue regarding unclear periods of service.,Service connection for hypothyroidism is also remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions began during his active military service. The decision is based on credible lay evidence of in-service noise exposure and continuity of symptoms since service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to scheduling issues, and requests that both claims be evaluated at the same audiological examination. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus began during service and has continued since, finding the evidence to be in equipoise. Therefore, service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of tinnitus has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's tinnitus began in service and has continued to the present, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and prostate cancer were also denied due to lack of in-service onset or relationship to service.,Steal syndrome of the bilateral hands, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and sleep apnea were not granted service connection as they did not manifest during service or are not related to service.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae was denied as his condition does not cover at least 20% of his body or require systemic therapy.

The Board has found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are service-connected, but his low back disability and left ankle disability have not been established as such. The claims for low back and left ankle disabilities are remanded for further development.