Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions were incurred or are causally related to service due to noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence in the April 2017 VA examination. The Veteran's pulmonary fibrosis is granted as related to asbestos exposure during service.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal regarding the claim of service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus for further examination and consideration due to incomplete reasoning in the previous VA examinations.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have current right ear hearing loss for VA purposes and there is no evidence of a threshold shift in his hearing during active military service. For left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, the Board found credible the Veteran's statements about their onset during service and awarded service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, BHL, tinnitus, DM, HTN, and neuropathy of the lower and upper extremities, were denied as there was no evidence of in-service incurrence or a nexus to service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no nexus between the disabilities and active duty service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has denied service connection for a right knee condition and remanded the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus and unspecified psychosis, finding that there was no causal link between these conditions and his active service. The cause of death was ruled accidental.

Service connection for tinnitus has been granted.,The claim for service connection for otosclerosis of the right ear with hearing loss (status post stapedectomy) is being remanded due to conflicting medical opinions and need for further examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, which was listed as cardiopulmonary arrest due to or as a consequence of acute myocardial infarction and atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, is related to his service-connected conditions. The Board found the opinion provided by the VA provider to be probative in determining that the Veteran’s service-connected physical and mental disabilities contributed to the development of coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's headache disorder is aggravated by his service-connected low back, cervical strain, and anxiety disorders. Tinnitus was incurred in wartime service.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability was not aggravated during active service, and the claim for this condition is denied.,Tinnitus was shown in active service and has been subsequently manifested, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been dismissed. The Board has remanded the remaining claims, including those related to Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and its associated disabilities.

The Veteran's tinnitus was incurred in service and the Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including posttraumatic stress disorder and bilateral hearing loss, prevented him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational background and work experience from January 31, 2003 to June 1, 2009.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection, while his major depressive disorder is granted a 30 percent rating. His coronary artery disease from June 13, 2013 to October 12, 2016, remains at 60 percent.

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 chronic disease in service or within the applicable presumptive period, and that continuity of symptomatology was not established. The Board also found that the preponderance of the evidence did not support a nexus between the current conditions and military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hyperacusis, and bilateral feet small fiber neuropathy. The Veteran's claims for a bilateral upper arm condition (to include fatigue), bilateral wrist nerve damage, bilateral elbow nerve damage, and bilateral leg condition (to include fatigue) are remanded.