Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and lumbar strain have been denied as there is no evidence of an earlier claim or entitlement prior to the effective date assigned.,The Veteran's claim for PTSD has also been denied as there is no evidence of an earlier claim or entitlement prior to the effective date assigned.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions have been dismissed. The appeal for tinnitus, left ankle disorder, right knee disorder, left foot disorder, and right foot disorder has been withdrawn by the Veteran.,Service connection for IBS was denied prior to February 28, 2018, but a petition to reopen this claim was granted in December 2018. The effective date of service connection for IBS is not earlier than February 28, 2018.

The Veteran's requests to reopen claims for tinnitus and hearing loss were denied. Service connection for PTSD was granted at a rating of 70 percent, effective from the date of the decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the threshold requirements for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) prior to April 4, 2017.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the issues of hearing loss and lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to a back disability.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for muscle and joint pain, including back pain; a left wrist disorder; bilateral hearing loss; and tinnitus. The decision is based on the Veteran's incarcerated status and the need to schedule examinations while he remains in prison.

The Veteran's tinnitus, hearing loss, OSA, and PTSD were all denied as they are not related to his military service.,VA examinations found no evidence linking the Veteran's current conditions to his time in active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including obstructive sleep apnea, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and anxiety disorder, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since June 12, 2018.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, left eye disability, PTSD, and GI disability. The TDIU claim is also remanded due to its interrelated nature with other issues.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee, right knee, lower back, and tinnitus disabilities. Service connection is denied for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service due to lack of in-service symptoms or contemporaneous medical records.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to outstanding VA treatment records from 1965-2003. The Veteran's records at the Pittsburgh VAMC are not fully associated with his case file.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral tinnitus is denied as the maximum schedular rating has been assigned.,An earlier effective date of May 10, 2018, for service connection for depressive disorder is granted based on the receipt of an informal claim prior to the March 24, 2015 amendments.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including cluster headaches and knee disabilities, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Veteran's asthma and tinnitus, both rated at 10 percent, are in effect during the entire period on appeal. Therefore, he is not entitled to a compensable rating based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service connection claims for tinnitus, PTSD, DDA/AUD, asthma, gastrointestinal disability, and OSA are all granted. The Veteran's asthma is presumed to be related to his in-service exposure to burn pits and other particulate matter during his Southwest Asia service. His gastrointestinal issues are also presumed to be related to this exposure. However, the Board found no evidence of a nexus between PTSD and service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate compliance with prior remand instructions, requiring further development of medical opinion evidence regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea disability.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus, sleep disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), hypertension, and eye disorder have been denied due to lack of current diagnoses.,Service connection has not been established for any of the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety, is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, lumbar spine disability, and hearing loss, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of June 1, 2018.