Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2022

Service connection for PTSD due to MST has been granted.,Service connection for OSA was denied as there is no evidence of current disability.

The Board has remanded the cases for a new VA examination and medical opinion to address the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as their relationship to active duty service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection, and the reduction in rating for chronic sinusitis from 30 percent to 10 percent was found improper. The Veteran retains a 30 percent rating for his chronic sinusitis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is remanded due to the need for a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of his tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment, as he is currently employed part-time and earns income above the poverty threshold for one person.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is attributable to service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, including on an extraschedular basis prior to April 28, 2022, and on a schedular basis thereafter. The case is also remanded for an addendum opinion regarding the severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were reopened due to new evidence, and service connection was granted.,Service connection was also established for left leg varicose veins.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to deficiencies in the addendum medical opinions provided. A new VA audiological examination is needed to determine if there is a link between service, including noise exposure, and current hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, obstructive sleep apnea, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and asthma have been granted. The claim for chronic fatigue syndrome has been remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, have precluded him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to July 20, 2021. However, he was employed as a forklift operator in a protected environment until July 20, 2021.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection, while his claims for chloracne, porphyria cutanea tarda, bilateral hearing loss, soft tissue sarcoma, kidney cancer, and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are all remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin condition was granted in a June 2022 rating decision. The appeal for tinnitus is denied as the evidence does not support a finding that it is related to his service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. Bilateral hearing loss is presumed due to acoustic trauma during service, while tinnitus is secondary to the now-service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.,Service connection for a genitourinary disability, claimed as Bartholin's cysts, is denied due to lack of evidence showing the condition had its onset during service or is related to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss were denied as service connection was not established.,The previously denied claims for GERD and recurrent headaches have been reopened, but service connection was not established.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus as secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability. However, the issue of a compensable initial rating for bilateral hearing loss disability is remanded due to incomplete VA examination results.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of entitlement to a TDIU prior to October 14, 2018 due to insufficient information regarding his income during that period. The AOJ is instructed to verify and associate the Veteran's verified yearly income for years 2004 through 2009 with the claims file.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back disability, cervical spine disability, CAD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to the Veteran's inability to attend VA examinations due to cancer treatment.