Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disorder and tinnitus due to additional development being required.

The Veteran's claims for service connection related to headaches, OSA, insomnia, and tinnitus have been reopened. The VA has granted these claims.,A rating of 20 percent for lumbar spine spondylosis (lumbar spine disability) is restored.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and thyroid cancer should be remanded due to incomplete verification of his periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA).

The Veteran's TDIU was granted effective May 27, 2015 due to his service-connected disabilities resulting in severe physical limitations.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to noise exposure in service. The VA examination is inadequate as it did not consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding his noise exposure.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to address due process issues and obtain additional evidence regarding the Veteran's employment prospects. The case will be remanded for these purposes.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss and total disability rating based on individual unemployability based on service-connected disabilities (TDIU). Specifically, the AOJ must obtain the August 2017 audiogram results referenced in the Veteran’s statements and clarify if a performance intensity function test was performed during the May 2018 private audiological evaluation.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,Beginning September 19, 2015, the Veteran was granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for the residuals of lacerations to the left little finger, right index and ring fingers, and a jammed right thumb. The Veteran did not have any chronic disabilities related to these injuries during or after service.,Service connection was also denied for a low back disability, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and sinus/allergic disorder. There is no evidence of such conditions until many years after the Veteran's separation from service.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left foot disability, and back disability. The claim for tinnitus was denied as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to an incomplete audiometric test at separation from service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations. The issues include PTSD, hearing loss, tinnitus, cystic kidney disease, keratoconjunctivitis, sleep apnea, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU based on this finding.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including major depressive disorder, tinnitus, and ischemic heart disease, render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's cause of death is denied as there is no evidence that his service-connected disabilities caused or contributed to his death. For the period from July 7, 2010 to September 15, 2010, the Veteran was granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate examination and exposure verification. The Veteran is requested to provide updated VA treatment records, determine if his duties placed him near the base perimeter in Thailand, verify herbicide agent exposure, and obtain appropriate medical opinions regarding hypertension and erectile dysfunction.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to a lack of current evidence supporting her claims, and because there is uncertainty regarding whether she meets the criteria for PTSD. The Veteran was exposed to noise in service but did not have a diagnosis of tinnitus at any time during or after service. For the psychiatric claim, the Board found that the April 2014 VA examination report was internally inconsistent and remanded for clarification.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claim of service connection for kidney failure has been granted. The Board finds new and material evidence that relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the Veteran’s claim, which is raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.,The Veteran's duodenal ulcer is currently rated at 20 percent under Diagnostic Code 7305. The Board has determined that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they are primarily continuous abdominal pain.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to July 18, 2018.