Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's chronic headaches have been granted service connection as secondary to his service-connected tinnitus.,His claim for a higher evaluation for tinnitus has been denied, with the highest possible rating already assigned.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including tinnitus and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The VA examinations are needed for a comprehensive evaluation of these conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to acoustic trauma in service and has been ongoing since then.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to outstanding private treatment records and additional development of asbestos exposure during service.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claims for tinnitus and malaria was granted. The claim for malaria is denied, while the claim for tinnitus is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal of the initial rating for tinnitus is denied as he has been assigned the maximum schedular rating available. The claims for service connection for an eye disability, other than bilateral pingueculas and a bilateral hip disability are both granted. However, his claim for service connection for condyloma remains pending due to lack of current evidence.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise to support these claims.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted.,The Veteran's claim for Meniere’s disease (claimed as vertigo) is remanded.

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 Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, migraine headaches, sleep apnea, tinnitus, cervical spine injury, lumbar spine condition, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, heart condition, prostate condition, left foot condition, right foot condition, and seizure disorder. The Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus is granted.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's tinnitus originated during service, and therefore grants service connection for tinnitus. The issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains pending and is remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD, bipolar disorder, depressive disorder, and other specific trauma and stressor-related disorder are granted. Service connection is also established for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, right leg disability, cellulitis, telangiectasia, photoaging, sebaceous hyperplasia, actinic keratosis, and herpes. An effective date earlier than July 22, 2015 for left lower leg laceration with infection and drainage is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral tinnitus is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of hearing impairment at separation or within a year after discharge. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence does not support the claims for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for vertigo, finding that the evidence did not support a relationship between the condition and the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. The TDIU claim was also denied as there is no evidence showing the Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple conditions has been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and examinations.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral shin splints, residuals of TBI, and tinnitus. The conditions are related to service due to overuse in the case of shin splints, a service injury in the case of TBI, and noise exposure in service in the case of tinnitus.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disorder and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a chronic disability during or within one year after service. The VA examiners concluded that any current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim for service connection for bilateral cataracts, right shoulder cyst residuals, tinnitus, chronic fatigue, dizziness, numbness, short-term memory loss, and attention problems is granted.,The Veteran's application to reopen the claim for service connection for sinusitis and a headache condition is also granted.