Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss disability, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction are not related to service or his service-connected TBI. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus that is related to his military service. The Veteran's STRs did not show any complaints, symptoms, or diagnoses of hearing loss or tinnitus during service. His separation examination also showed no signs of hearing loss. While he reported having hearing loss in 1991, the examiners found him to have normal hearing at that time.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining personnel records and private treatment records, scheduling VA examinations, and providing updated medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure. The issue of service connection for left ear hearing loss is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including anxiety disorder, NOS (now depressive disorder with symptoms of PTSD) and tinnitus, are found to preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation. As such, the Board grants his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran is service-connected with several conditions, including DDD of the lumbosacral spine. The care provided on September 10, 2011, was for an adjudicated service-connected disability and in a medical emergency where delay would have been hazardous to life or health. VA facilities were not feasibly available at the time.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service. The Board denied service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (PTSD and tinnitus) have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, arteriosclerotic heart disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity, are found to be sufficient to preclude him from engaging in gainful employment. As a result, TDIU is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are etiologically related to his active service, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and work experience.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated as 70 percent disabling, but the evidence does not show total social and occupational impairment. The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are inextricably intertwined with his PTSD, so both conditions must be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected tinea versicolor is rated at a noncompensable (0%) level. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus has been granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The claim for a back condition was remanded due to new medical evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to an equipment malfunction during his July 2014 video conference hearing. He will be scheduled for a new hearing.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new evidence supports a causal relationship to active duty. Service connection is now granted.

The Veteran is service connected for multiple disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disorder and cold injury residuals. The Board finds that these conditions render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, thus granting a TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, and he was granted service connection for this condition. The decision on bilateral hearing loss remains pending as it was not addressed in the appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, with the exception of his hearing loss which is not considered a disability for VA purposes due to its chronicity. Service connection is granted for tinnitus but denied for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board found that the appellant does not have bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes and denied service connection for this condition. The claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus was addressed in a separate issue.