Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability is granted. The claims for upper back and neck, bilateral cubital tunnel syndrome, arthritis, hearing loss, and tinnitus are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder, left shoulder, right ankle, and left ankle degenerative arthritis. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is also considered to be related to his military service.,Service connection was denied for tinnitus as the VA examiner found no evidence of its occurrence during service.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder and entitlement to TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran is required to provide updated information regarding his educational and employment history.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between his disabilities and in-service illness.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of in-service acoustic trauma or onset of these conditions during service. The Board also found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection under any applicable provisions.,The decision concluded that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is less likely related to his active duty service and tinnitus is not linked to military service.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to assess the Veteran's functional impairment from his service-connected disabilities and determine if he is unemployable due to these conditions. The examiner must consider all of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, except for left knee degenerative arthritis, during the period from May 15, 2018 to July 1, 2019.

The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in the medical opinions regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus. A new VA medical opinion is needed that accounts for the noise-induced tinnitus from combat training, which may relate to the later onset of hearing loss.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of right and left inguinal hernia, tinnitus, and hearing loss due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for tinnitus, disability of the back, and hypertension due to insufficient evidence or conflicting opinions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of in-service aggravation or a link to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of chronic joint pain, ear disorder (other than tinnitus), hypercholesterolemia, or skin disorder. The claims for service connection are denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to these conditions during the pendency of the claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, ulcerative colitis, asthma, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, have prevented him from engaging in substantially gainful employment for which his education and occupational experience would otherwise qualify him. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions were not related to his military service.,There was no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus during service, and any post-service complaints are too remote in time from service.

The Board denied service connection for left shoulder joint pain, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active military service.,Specifically, there was no objective medical evidence showing a link between any of these conditions and the Veteran's time in service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bladder cancer and cause of death. The Board found that the Veteran's bladder cancer was not related to his active duty service, including presumed herbicide exposure, nor was it proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected prostate cancer. The Board also determined that none of the Veteran's service-connected conditions played a role in his death.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions in the claims file.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support a link to active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, diabetic retinopathy, prostate cancer residuals, erectile dysfunction, ischemic heart disease, tinnitus, and major depressive disorder. The Board also found that hypertension is secondary to diabetes and grants service connection for this condition based on herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease is granted as his exposure to herbicide agents during active service has been presumed.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is denied due to lack of evidence showing the conditions began during or are related to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected. The Board finds the evidence in equipoise, resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran. For sleep apnea and RLS, additional medical records are needed to determine their etiology. Bilateral hearing loss is remanded for further evaluation.