Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnosed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to noise exposure in service, meeting the criteria for direct service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The issue of bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's request for a Travel Board hearing. The appeal is not ready for final disposition.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to acoustic trauma during active military service, and the Board finds that service connection for tinnitus is warranted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision also noted that the Veteran did not have a diagnosed PTSD due to a sexual assault during her military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are causally related to his acoustic trauma in service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining his VA treatment records and scheduling him for a VA audiological and podiatry examination to determine the etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for tinnitus has been withdrawn. The issue of whether the rating reduction from 10 percent to noncompensable (zero percent) for bilateral hearing loss, effective March 16, 2011, was proper is being remanded.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to his military service, including acoustic trauma from weaponry while serving in Vietnam. The VA examination report concluded that these conditions were not caused by or a result of military noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been remanded due to the need to obtain additional evidence, including VA audiological treatment records and occupational noise exposure records. The case will be further reviewed after these records are obtained.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service acoustic trauma exposure, and thus service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there was no evidence of a significant change in hearing over the brief period he served.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to his active duty service. For headaches, while there is no direct evidence linking them to service, the Board also finds it at least as likely as not that they are caused by a service-connected disability (hypertension).

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to verify his duty status with the Michigan Army National Guard (ARNG) from December 1986 to October 1992, and to attempt to verify additional stressors for PTSD. The VA examiner will provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during a period of active duty or is related to his service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for tinnitus service connection was denied as there was no formal or informal claim provided regarding the condition prior to January 17, 2007.

The Veteran's initial evaluations for hearing loss disability and tinnitus have been denied as no higher evaluation is warranted.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The issue of service connection for Hepatitis C remains pending as VA will obtain additional medical opinions before making a decision.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted a 70 percent rating since May 26, 2010. The hearing loss and tinnitus claims have been denied.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's exposure to loud noise during combat in Vietnam is presumed to have caused his current condition.