Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2021

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The Board found the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and right ankle disability issues were remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for tinnitus is granted. The heart disability claim is denied. The claims of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen the cellulitis and BCC of the left upper lip claims are remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection, but his bilateral hearing loss and respiratory conditions are denied. The cases for rheumatic fever, arthritis condition, and heart condition secondary to rheumatic fever are remanded.

The appeal with respect to entitlement to service connection for stenosis of the left leg is dismissed.,The previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is reopened, and the Veteran's tinnitus is granted as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The claims for lower extremity neuropathy are also granted.

The Board denied service connection for a low back condition, bilateral hearing loss, and granted service connection for tinnitus. The Board found no link between the Veteran's current conditions and his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for a new VA opinion regarding the etiology of his chronic otitis media, perforated tympanic membrane, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim of service connection for headaches, secondary to his service-connected anxiety disorder NOS with features of PTSD, was granted. The appeal for service connection for asbestosis and petitions to reopen claims for tinnitus, squamous cell carcinoma of the right base of the tongue, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) were dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, and the Board finds that he is capable of sedentary employment despite his physical limitations.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for postherpetic neuralgia of the 9th cranial nerve involving the right ear was granted with a 10 percent evaluation effective August 13, 2020. The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The petition to reopen the claim for service connection for congestive heart failure with dilated cardiomyopathy is allowed, and the appeal is granted to that extent only. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.

The Veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities as of July 18, 2017.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting the grant of TDIU.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the grants of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Board remanded the case due to issues with VA's mailing procedures, lack of explanation in the September 2020 Remand, and failure to address the Veteran's right to a hearing.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise and concludes that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his period of active duty service. For the hearing loss claim, a remand is necessary as the VA examiner did not consider the audiograms from the Veteran's service records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to August 25, 2015.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II with hypertension, bilateral upper and lower diabetic peripheral neuropathy, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, meet the schedular criteria for entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including other trauma and stressor related disorder, lumbar intervertebral disc syndrome, degenerative disc disease, degenerative arthritis, lumbosacral strain, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, tinnitus, bilateral pes planus, bilateral hearing loss, dermatitis of the neck, and erectile dysfunction, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment since September 17, 2016. The Veteran's combined service-connected rating was 80 percent at that time. Basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 is established as of September 17, 2016.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and Meniere's disease with tinnitus, vertigo were granted effective as of December 20, 2011. A 100% rating was assigned for the entire appeal period from December 20, 2011 to May 3, 2019.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and prostate cancer are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding their etiology.