Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus as new and material evidence was not submitted, resulting in a final April 2008 rating decision.

The Board has determined that a new medical opinion is needed to adjudicate the service connection claims for hearing loss and tinnitus, as the existing opinions are inadequate. The examiner must address the Veteran's lay statements regarding noise exposure in service and provide a rationale for any negative findings.

The Veteran's lumbar spinal stenosis was not incurred in or related to his service.,Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are likely due to acoustic trauma during service in Vietnam.,Tinnitus is less likely than not related to the Veteran’s service, as there were no threshold shifts noted.,The phantom pain from amputated left fingers may be aggravated by diabetes mellitus type II.,Peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity and left upper extremity are secondary to diabetes mellitus type II.,Peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity and left lower extremity are secondary to diabetes mellitus type II.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (major depressive disorder and polysubstance dependence) is not related to service, as he does not have a diagnosis of PTSD.,A rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus type II requires further examination.,Residuals of prostate cancer require an evaluation from February 1, 2018.

The Board has decided to remand the cases due to the need for additional development, specifically obtaining medical records from the Richards-Gebaur Air Force Hospital.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The appeals for chronic fatigue syndrome and sleep disability were dismissed.,Several other issues related to undiagnosed illnesses are remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The issue of bilateral hearing loss has been remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and peripheral vestibular disorder (vertigo) are all found to be related to his active duty service. The Board granted the claims for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's condition began during his military service and is related to noise exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no new evidence to support these claims.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for various disabilities and whether new evidence supports reopening a claim. The case is returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for permanent chronic pain, permanent nerve condition and bowel damage has been dismissed.,Service connection was denied for degenerative arthritis of the neck and spine due to lack of evidence linking current disabilities to service.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus as the evidence did not establish a relationship to service or service-connected hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a skin disorder of the bilateral feet (claimed as jungle rot) due to additional development being necessary.

The Veteran's right shoulder and headaches are granted service connection as they are secondary to his service-connected disabilities. His bilateral hearing loss is denied, but he was granted service connection for tinnitus. The left lower and upper extremity neurological disabilities were not granted service connection.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and a sleep disorder due to the Veteran's death.

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

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a groin condition, back disability, and tinnitus is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an extraschedular rating and TDIU due to conflicting opinions regarding his PTSD symptoms and their impact on his ability to work. The VA is required to obtain updated medical opinions addressing these issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of his hearing loss, tinnitus, skin disorder, tremors/Parkinson’s disease, and acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during his active service, and therefore grants the claim for service connection.