Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown during service or within one year of separation, and are therefore not service-connected.,Malaria is not a condition that can be presumed to have been incurred due to exposure to herbicides. The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of malaria.,Hypertension was not shown during service or within one year of separation, and is not service-connected.,Ulcerative colitis is not related to active service.,Metastatic rectal cancer is presumed to be due to the Veteran's active service.,Left upper extremity neuropathy, right upper extremity neuropathy, left lower extremity neuropathy, and right lower extremity neuropathy are all found to be related to the Veteran's active service.,PTSD was not diagnosed during service or within one year of separation. The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD.,An acquired psychiatric disorder, including adjustment disorder with anxiety and depressive disorder, is secondary to the Veteran’s service-connected rectal cancer.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional development and evaluation of his conditions.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions were not incurred or aggravated by his active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has dismissed the appeals on the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and erectile dysfunction as the appellant withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's tinnitus and degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine claims are remanded for additional development. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, finding that the evidence did not establish a link between the condition and active military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss due to a lack of evidence showing a current disability.,The Board has remanded the claims for entitlement to service connection for right ear hearing loss, tinnitus (secondary to cluster headaches), and latent tuberculosis (due to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune).

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his service connection claim for tinnitus and his initial compensable rating claim for atopic dermatitis.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for tinnitus, hearing loss in the right ear, and a back disability due to conflicting medical opinions and need for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the claims for bilateral hearing loss and right forearm scar are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence does not support a link to service or within one year of separation.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began shortly after his military service and have continued since.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the threshold schedular TDIU criteria, and his service-connected disabilities alone do not result in occupational impairment sufficient to warrant extraschedular referral.

Service connection granted for bilateral tinnitus and denied for bilateral hearing loss, a sleeping disorder (obstructive sleep apnea), and an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression).,The Veteran's service connection claims for the other conditions are denied.

The Veteran's tinnitus is rated at the highest permissible level (10%). The Board has remanded for further examination and opinion regarding service connection, rating, and compensation for his lumbar spine disability, pes planus, bilateral hearing loss, and hypertension.

The Board dismissed all service connection issues due to the Veteran's death, as they have no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed left shoulder disability and tinnitus, which are presumed to be related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened, with the latter granted. The claim for a higher rating for migraines is denied, as is the request to increase the hypertension rating. A 10% disability rating has been granted for COPD. The restoration of the back disability rating from 40% to 10% effective April 1, 2018 was found improper and remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and his claim for TDIU is denied.