Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection as a chronic disease under the presumptive provisions. The Board found that his tinnitus manifested within one year of his discharge from service and is not attributable to intercurrent causes. For the left leg disability, more information is needed to allow the Board to make a fully-informed decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, diabetic retinopathy, diabetes mellitus type 2, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and tinnitus, rendered him unable to obtain or maintain gainful employment from January 5, 2011, to May 2, 2018.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as the VA examiner's opinions were inadequate. The new examination must address whether the Veteran's conditions are related to service, specifically noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied in an August 2004 rating decision. The claim for right shoulder arthritis was reopened, but the issue remains remanded due to a lack of VA employee treatment records from 1983-1984.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new evidence received since the March 2003 rating decisions. However, these claims are still remanded as additional development is needed to determine if there is a relationship between the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus and his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. Service connection for hyperlipidemia, hypertension, left shoulder disability, neck disability, and foot disability is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus and an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss due to outstanding treatment records and a need for additional VA examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding whether these conditions are related to military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for foreign body in left eye has been reopened and granted. Service connection is also granted for tinnitus, but the hearing loss claim remains denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for entitlement to service connection for various conditions, including right knee disability, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and psychiatric disorders. The appeals are currently pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and heart disability. The reasons included that the pre-existing conditions did not worsen during service, there was no current diagnosis of a hearing loss disability or heart disability, and the Veteran's assertions were not supported by medical evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence, specifically the Veteran's testimony regarding his symptoms and treatment post-service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's current tinnitus began during service. The decision also notes that there is no clear and convincing evidence to the contrary of the Veteran's reports of continuous tinnitus in the years since service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be service-connected as it arose during his combat service in Iraq.

The Board has granted service connection for a neck disability, a back disability, and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding these claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his neck injury, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy, and acquired psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted, and the earlier effective date for service connection for ischemic heart disease (IHD) was denied.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hearing loss in the right ear and a skin condition are remanded. The claim for tinnitus is granted, while the claim for left ear hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's spouse was not awarded an earlier effective date for the addition of herself to his compensation award because she did not submit a VA Form 21-686c within one year of being notified of her eligibility, and thus the earliest possible effective date is July 9, 2012.