Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2024

The Board has determined that the Veteran's October 2019 VA Form 10182 may be considered a valid and timely Notice of Disagreement, and thus the appeal for service connection for lumbosacral spine disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, and tinnitus is remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at the maximum schedular rating. The claims for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, HTN, AFib, and foot disabilities are all remanded due to potential service connection under the PACT Act.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. Service connection is remanded for vertigo and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression and insomnia).

The Veteran's left hip condition, right ankle degenerative arthritis, and left ankle tendonitis are granted as secondary to service-connected lower extremity conditions.,Tinnitus is granted as secondary to acoustic trauma in service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, gastrointestinal disorder (viral gastroenteritis), and arthritis of the fingers, hands, arms, legs, and gout due to additional development being needed.

The Veteran withdrew all claims for service connection and higher ratings, including those for PTSD, osteoarthritis of the shoulder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, erectile dysfunction, prostate disorder, and hypertension. The appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service treatment records do not show any complaints, treatment, or diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. Post-service medical records also lack evidence of these conditions.,There is no medical evidence linking the Veteran's blurred vision to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a chronic perforation of the left tympanic membrane are granted. The Board also finds that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral plantar calcaneal spurs, degenerative changes of the feet (claimed as flat feet and residuals of broken toes), degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and sleep apnea are found to have begun during service. The appeal is granted.

The Veteran's headache disorder and tinnitus have been granted service connection.,A higher rating of 30 percent has been granted for the acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus on a presumptive basis, but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's OSA is secondary to his service-connected disabilities, with obesity as an intermediate step. The VA needs to obtain a new opinion from a qualified sleep specialist addressing both proximate causation and aggravation by hypertension and PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted. The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at the maximum allowable rating of 10%. For sinusitis, rhinitis, and migraine headaches prior to May 27, 2020, a higher rating is not warranted as they are already assigned the highest schedular ratings available.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and right knee disability as secondary to his service-connected intervertebral disc degeneration due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various conditions, including low back condition, cervical spine condition, knee conditions, shoulder conditions, peripheral neuropathy, and thyroid condition. The effective dates are not specified.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates are denied as there were no prior formal or informal claims filed before July 2, 2017. The appeal is remanded to obtain VA treatment records and other relevant medical records.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. The claim for an increased rating of tension headaches has also been granted, with a 30 percent disability rating.,Service connection for the lumbar spine disability remains pending as it is not addressed in this decision.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss disability, residuals of head trauma (claimed as traumatic brain injury), headaches, memory loss, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Barrett's esophagus, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of chronic tinnitus in service or within a presumptive period. The VA examiner concluded that tinnitus is less likely caused by military noise exposure.