Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as service records are presumed destroyed. The claims for service connection are therefore remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for specially adapted housing and special home adaptation grant was denied as he does not meet the eligibility criteria due to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the lack of recent VA treatment records and an updated application for part-time work.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is rated at 20 percent, and he is granted special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance of another. The issues regarding service connection for Parkinson’s disease and sleep apnea secondary to PTSD have not yet been adjudicated.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active duty service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss may be related to service or his tinnitus disability, and a supplemental medical opinion is needed to clarify this relationship.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to in-service noise exposure and service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right knee cyst, tinnitus, a right lower extremity vein condition, and a left lower extremity vein condition due to new evidence received since previous decisions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been dismissed due to their death during the appeal process.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the appeal for sleep apnea is dismissed.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed. The Board has remanded the remaining issues due to the need to obtain Social Security Administration (SSA) records.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus and remanded the issues of rating for left ear hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo, and TDIU. Additional development is needed to determine if type 2 diabetes was present during the appeal period, assess the current severity of inner ear disability, and consider whether it would be more beneficial to rate the Veteran's service-connected disabilities under Diagnostic Code 6204.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to in-service acoustic noise exposure.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as the evidence did not show these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD have been granted. The Board found that the Veteran had current disabilities for VA purposes due to military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been denied as there is no legal basis to award higher schedular disability ratings.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted as the Board finds that his assertions of in-service noise exposure are credible and consistent with the circumstances of his service, including combat. The private physician's opinion indicates a link between current tinnitus and military noise exposure.

The Board has granted an effective date of May 28, 2003 for the award of service connection for tinnitus. The decision is based on the Veteran's original claim filed in May 2003 and his subsequent clarification of his disability as tinnitus within one year.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of current disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he is able to perform activities such as golfing and water aerobics without symptoms.