Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are granted as service-connected, with the conditions beginning during his active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for residuals of separated broken ribs has been denied as there is no current diagnosis.,Tinnitus is currently rated at the maximum allowable under Diagnostic Code 6260, and a higher rating is not warranted.,Bilateral hearing loss was granted an increased rating to 20 percent effective March 4, 2014 (the date of the Veteran's TDIU claim).,Osteoarthritis/degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was also granted an increased rating to 40 percent effective March 4, 2014.,The Veteran's claims for Meniere's disease and vertigo/dizziness are remanded as further evaluation is needed.,The Veteran's claims for vertigo/dizziness and Meniere's disease are remanded as further evaluation is needed.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a left arm disability, right arm condition, bilateral hearing loss, chronic otitis media (claimed as ear condition), tinnitus, and COPD are all denied.,Service connection is not granted for any of the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to determine the appropriate rating for his service-connected Meniere’s syndrome, including hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo. The current 30 percent rating will be reconsidered under the most beneficial diagnostic codes.

The petition to reopen the claim of service connection for residuals of upper respiratory infections was denied.,The petition to reopen the claim of service connection for a heart disability was denied.

The Board has determined that there is not enough evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as his current disabilities are not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of various conditions due to his withdrawal of all issues on appeal.

The Veteran's multiple service-connected conditions do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus due to additional opinion needed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate VA examination results. The Veteran is required to undergo further medical evaluation to determine if he currently has a ratable disability, specifically bilateral hearing loss and/or tinnitus, that may be related to his military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection for tinnitus. However, the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to active service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of an etiology opinion addressing the Veteran's assertions regarding noise exposure during service.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus as it did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of service separation and was not both chronic in service and continuous since service separation. The Veteran's statements about the onset of tinnitus after his deployment were inconsistent with service treatment records, which showed no complaints related to tinnitus during service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or in-service event that caused the condition.,Service connection for major depressive disorder secondary to service-connected tinnitus, lumbar strain, and bilateral hearing loss is granted. The effective date for this decision remains October 11, 2011.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has credible reports of noise exposure during service and a current diagnosis of tinnitus, which resolves in favor of granting service connection. For bilateral hearing loss, the Board finds insufficient evidence to determine if it was incurred in service and remands the issue.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment for which his education and occupational experience would qualify him.

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