Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability has been granted.,Service connection is also established for tinnitus, headaches, and gastrointestinal disabilities due to qualifying chronic conditions under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1117.

The Board has granted an effective date of July 31, 2016, for the awards of service connection for tinnitus and scar, status post right knee arthroscopic surgery.,Service connection was denied for respiratory issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to new evidence indicating that his hearing loss may have worsened since his last VA examination. The AOJ is instructed to obtain additional medical records from the Coast Guard and Branch Health Clinic, and schedule a VA examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus and headaches were denied as service connection due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between the conditions and service.,Service connection for anxiety/depression was also denied, with no mention of any specific in-service event or exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been rated at 80% combined, meeting the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus was denied. Service connection was granted for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and ischemic heart disease due to exposure to herbicide agents during active military service at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their relationship to service. The Veteran's current hearing loss disability is at issue, as it may impact his claim for tinnitus.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100% disabling, which moots the TDIU claim as there are no other service-connected disabilities that would warrant a separate TDIU determination.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and hypertension as there was no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate VA examination and missing private treatment records. The Veteran's recurrent hemorrhoids, tinnitus, allergic rhinitis, and lumbar spine strain with degenerative disc disease are being reviewed for service connection.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including a rating higher than 20 percent for prostatitis and a compensable rating for history of pneumothorax, right. The Veteran's psychiatric disability claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, tinnitus, a sleep disorder (OSA), and allergic rhinitis have been reopened.,Service connection has been granted for these conditions.

The appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for a sleep condition is dismissed.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus and PTSD, MDD, and insomnia disorder.,Service connection is denied for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran was exposed to acoustic trauma during active duty and his symptoms have continued since service. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of a hearing disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus did not have its onset during active service or within one year of separation, and there is no evidence to support a finding that it was continuous from service. The VA examiner concluded that the current tinnitus is less likely than not caused by or related to military noise exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected conditions did not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been remanded by the Board. The effective date of service connection for bilateral foot disabilities is set at May 1, 2017. The rating for bilateral pes planus has been granted from May 1, 2017 to December 10, 2021 and since then remains denied. A separate rating evaluation of 10 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis is granted effective February 7, 2021. The Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, arthritis of the left knee, arthritis of the right knee, low back condition, and TDIU are also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the VA definition of hearing loss or tinnitus.,For his left knee, right knee, and bilateral foot disabilities, the Board has found that remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions addressing whether these conditions are related to service. The Veteran's claim for obstructive sleep apnea remains pending as it is inextricably intertwined with the issues of service connection for the knees.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and PTSD, rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance due to his inability to perform daily activities without assistance.