Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2026

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder is denied as the symptoms do not warrant a rating in excess of 30 percent.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae is denied as the condition affects less than 5% of his exposed and total body area.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in the need for regular aid and attendance, which is granted as special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected due to in-service noise exposure.,The Veteran's ischemic heart disease and mid-chest incisional scar are service-connected as secondary to his time in service, specifically related to aortic aneurysm and heart valve replacement.,Tinnitus is service-connected based on the Veteran's reported history of noise exposure during service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the claim of left ear hearing loss due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for ischemic heart disease, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo due to pre-existing duty to assist errors.,For diabetes mellitus type II and hodgkin's-lymphoma, the evidence is not persuasive in favor of a nexus to service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his active military service.,Specifically, there is no evidence of any in-service noise exposure leading to current bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus, nor is there evidence of chronic symptoms within one year post-service for hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that both conditions are related to the Veteran's in-service hazardous noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral tinnitus is found to have begun during her active service and has persisted since then, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and obstructive sleep apnea. The Board found that there was no persuasive evidence to support a finding that these conditions were related to service.,The VA examiners provided opinions based on their review of the medical literature and the Veteran's toxic exposure history, concluding that the Veteran's hearing loss, tinnitus, GERD, and obstructive sleep apnea were not caused by or aggravated by service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, migraine headaches, and adjustment disorder with anxiety (claimed as sleep disturbance and insomnia), finding that these conditions had their onset during or within one year of the Veteran's military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, migraine headaches, and adjustment disorder with anxiety (claimed as sleep disturbance and insomnia), finding that these conditions had their onset during or within one year of the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied, but his claims for tinnitus and costochondritis were granted.,The Board has remanded the claims for left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), pericarditis, and myxomatous mitral valve.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted with an effective date of November 18, 2008. The Board found that the original decision could be reconsidered based on new service records obtained in August 2022.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's right and left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerves are granted at a 40 percent rating, but no higher, from March 31, 2022.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a duty-to-assist error in the November 2020 VA examination report. The examiner did not discuss relevant service treatment records, nor did they provide adequate reasoning based on the IOM study.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and degenerative disc disease with lumbar surgery, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment since February 5, 2016. The Board has granted a TDIU from this date.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available.,The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available for unilateral or bilateral tinnitus.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to his active service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and has remanded the claims of obstructive sleep apnea and skin condition/eczema due to potential errors in duty-to-assist.