Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the case for further development to address whether the Veteran's vertigo is secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and idiopathic cardiomyopathy with coronary artery disease and/or atrial fibrillation. The AOJ must obtain addendum medical opinions addressing these issues.

The Veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder, combined with other disabilities, has rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board granted TDIU and SMC housebound effective August 21, 2012.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to his military service and resolving reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's tinnitus had onset during service with continuity of symptoms to the present. The decision does not address any other conditions or issues.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure and his service-connected tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeals for pseudofolliculitis barbae, right pelvic bone disorder, and neck disorder have been dismissed.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hand disorder has been reopened due to new evidence submitted since the August 2014 rating decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not entitled to a TDIU before January 03, 2018 due to his service-connected disabilities. However, beginning December 01, 2019, the Veteran's TDIU claim was granted on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's skin disability is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is related to his service and exposure to CARC.,The Veteran's left shoulder disability is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is related to his service.,The Veteran's left ankle disability is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is related to his service.,The Veteran's right ankle disability, including as secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is related to his service and whether it is aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability.,The Veteran's tinnitus is being remanded for an addendum opinion from the April 2016 VA examiner to address whether it is due to military noise exposure.,The Veteran's neck disability, including as secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is related to his service.,The Veteran's hip disability, including a secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is related to his service.,The Veteran's respiratory disability, including as due to exposure to CARC, is being remanded for an addendum opinion from the May 2016 VA examiner to address whether it is related to his service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus disability is related to his active service and granted service connection for this condition. The decision on bilateral hearing loss remains pending as it was remanded.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 100 percent from February 29, 2012. The RO denied entitlement to a TDIU prior to February 29, 2012, or based on a single service-connected disability.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render her unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board denied her claim for a TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions. The Board will consider whether these conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service, particularly given his reported noise exposure as a cannon crewmember.

The Board has granted an increased rating of 20 percent for bilateral hearing loss disability from January 10, 2019. However, the RO failed to properly effectuate this decision and the case is REMANDED for further action.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to the Veteran's death before a decision was made.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection and rating for various conditions, including depression, knee degenerative joint disease, jaw fracture residuals, sleep apnea, migraines, eczema, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right shoulder disability, bilateral ear disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, left ankle disability, and hypertension. The Veteran is asked to provide additional VA clinical documentation for review.

The Veteran's tinnitus is service connected, and he has a current diagnosis of hypertension. The gastrointestinal condition (IBS and GERD) and psychiatric disability are not service connected. Right knee, left knee, right shoulder, low back, and left middle finger conditions remain on appeal.,Further evaluations are needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's gastrointestinal condition, psychiatric disability, and lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to noise exposure during active military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, an initial disability rating in excess of 60 percent for coronary artery disease (CAD), and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown as chronic in service, did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period, and were not noted in service with attributable continuity of symptomatology. The Board finds that the Veteran's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus began decades after his active military service and have not been attributed to his service.,The Veteran was diagnosed with dementia by the VA Medical Center in November 2020, which is prior to his death. The examiner must provide an opinion on whether the dementia at least as likely as not (i.e., the likelihood is at least approximately balanced or nearly equal, if not higher) related to service, including the Veteran's in-service diagnosis and treatment for a sexually transmitted disease in December 1956.