Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability.,The Veteran's claim for residuals of an appendectomy is denied as there is no evidence of any current residual disabilities from his appendectomy in the available medical records.,The Veteran's claim for PTSD is denied as he has not submitted any evidence that he has a current diagnosis of PTSD.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2 due to exposure to herbicides is remanded for further development, including verification of his in-service herbicide exposure.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left foot condition (plantar warts) is denied as there are no records showing the diagnosis occurred during a period of active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for bipolar disorder and remanded the remaining issues of service connection for other conditions. The Veteran's current bilateral shoulder disorders, lumbar spine disorder, sleep disorder, tinnitus, and erectile dysfunction are presumed to have originated in service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and hypertension have been granted service connection.,A rating in excess of 60 percent for voiding dysfunction due to prostate cancer is remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, right hip, psychiatric disabilities (including PTSD and alcohol abuse disorder), and tinnitus due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.

The Board has granted the claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that it had its onset during active military service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim for the period of September 14, 2011 to February 12, 2020 is remanded as it should be referred back to the Director, Compensation and Pension Service for reconsideration of an extra-schedular TDIU award.,Beginning February 13, 2020, a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities that include depressive disorder, tussive syncope, chronic sinusitis, and recurrent tinnitus is granted.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is withdrawn.,The petition to reopen the claim for service connection for bilateral plantar fascitis is granted, and the appeal is allowed to that extent only.,Service connection for PTSD and depression are denied.,The Veteran’s bilateral plantar fascitis with equinus deformity is remanded for further evaluation.,The Veteran's left wrist condition and bilateral hearing loss are also remanded for further evaluation.,The Veteran has not been shown to meet the DSM-V criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD or depression during the appeals period.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea, low back condition, cervical spine condition, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right wrist condition, left wrist condition, right knee condition, and left knee condition due to additional development of evidence.

The petition to reopen the previously denied claims for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and headaches is granted. The claim for GERD remains pending as it was remanded.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus and denied for kidney disorder. Bilateral hearing loss remains under review.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his PTSD did not contribute to his death but was a contributing factor. The Veteran died due to prolonged cardiac arrest resulting from multiple underlying health conditions.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of sleep apnea and must reconsider his claim for service connection for headache disorder. The reduction in rating for bilateral hearing loss is void ab initio due to lack of proper procedural steps, and an effective date prior to July 31, 2017 for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been granted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is approximately balanced as to whether these conditions are related to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's application to reopen a claim for tinnitus was granted, and he is now entitled to service connection for this condition.,His right foot condition and left foot condition were denied as not incurred in active service. The tongue tumor, hiatal hernia with acid reflux, erectile dysfunction, benign prostate hypertrophy, and stomach polyps were also denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has withdrawn the claim for an increased rating for PTSD and granted service connection for tinnitus. The claims for service connection of a back disability and hearing loss are being remanded due to outstanding medical records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, lumbar strain (claimed as low back disability), left wrist ganglion cyst, heat stroke residuals, neck disability, and head injury residuals to include headaches.,Service connection was not granted for any of these conditions due to a lack of evidence linking them to service.

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

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant, and no service connection decision can be made as a result.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence regarding in-service noise exposure and current disability.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate examination and insufficient rationale for the opinions provided. The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are being reviewed again with a focus on their relationship to service, including noise exposure.