Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability and service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not received to reopen claims for right ear hearing loss, but did receive new and material evidence to reopen claims for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus. The claims are granted on a partial basis.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for tinnitus was dismissed as he withdrew his appeal prior to the Board making a decision.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied. His claim for an increased rating for PTSD, however, was granted with a 50% rating effective September 6, 2016.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, neck disorder, back disorder, and foot disorder due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the current conditions are related to in-service noise exposure. Service connection was denied for hypertension and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to lack of evidence showing onset during service or a nexus to service.

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

The Board has determined that the appellant's service connection claims for a back injury, bilateral hearing loss, and left ear tinnitus need further development due to incomplete records and lack of an examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy of the feet, and erectile dysfunction (ED) have been granted. The Board found that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides in Thailand during his service but did not grant presumptive service connection based on this exposure as he served near the air base perimeter rather than directly at it.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for further examination and consideration of his employment history.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to December 2, 2014 for service connection of tinnitus, PTSD, and bilateral hearing loss as there was no completed formal or informal claim pending before that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete records and the need for VA examinations.

The Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder is related to service and granted.,The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that hypertension began during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease, so it was denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus as new and material evidence was not submitted, resulting in a final April 2008 rating decision.

The Board has determined that a new medical opinion is needed to adjudicate the service connection claims for hearing loss and tinnitus, as the existing opinions are inadequate. The examiner must address the Veteran's lay statements regarding noise exposure in service and provide a rationale for any negative findings.

The Veteran's lumbar spinal stenosis was not incurred in or related to his service.,Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are likely due to acoustic trauma during service in Vietnam.,Tinnitus is less likely than not related to the Veteran’s service, as there were no threshold shifts noted.,The phantom pain from amputated left fingers may be aggravated by diabetes mellitus type II.,Peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity and left upper extremity are secondary to diabetes mellitus type II.,Peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity and left lower extremity are secondary to diabetes mellitus type II.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (major depressive disorder and polysubstance dependence) is not related to service, as he does not have a diagnosis of PTSD.,A rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus type II requires further examination.,Residuals of prostate cancer require an evaluation from February 1, 2018.

The Board has decided to remand the cases due to the need for additional development, specifically obtaining medical records from the Richards-Gebaur Air Force Hospital.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The appeals for chronic fatigue syndrome and sleep disability were dismissed.,Several other issues related to undiagnosed illnesses are remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The issue of bilateral hearing loss has been remanded.