Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and tinea pedis. The AOJ will arrange for a medical examination to determine if any current skin disorders are related to service, including those diagnosed during active duty. Additionally, an opinion from the examiner who provided the July 2011 VA audiology examination will be sought regarding whether hearing loss and/or tinnitus are of service onset or otherwise related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new examination to address the Veteran's exposure to acoustic trauma during service and his assertions of hearing loss beginning in service.

The Board finds that the cause of the Veteran's death is not related to his service-connected disabilities, including bilateral knee arthritis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected as they are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including cold injury residuals of the feet and hands, as well as tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case for further action, including scheduling a hearing before a traveling member of the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current disability of hearing loss or tinnitus related to his active service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure causing these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss had its onset in service and is related to his exposure to traumatic noise, thus granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's right and left ear hearing loss disabilities are found to be related to his period of active service.,The Veteran's preexisting left ear hearing loss disability was aggravated by his period of active service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and arranging for a comprehensive examination to assess his ability to work given his service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus did not meet the criteria for service connection as it was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service, and is not proximately due to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be etiologically related to service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increase in disability rating for PTSD prior to October 17, 2011 or a grant of service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus, as defined by VA regulations. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations and an addendum opinion regarding his hearing loss, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy, and skin condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance, nor does he qualify for specially adapted housing or special home adaptation assistance.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including a new VA examination and interpretation of audiograms from 1972. The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus will be reconsidered based on this additional information.

The Board found no evidence of in-service hearing loss or tinnitus, and the VA examiner concluded that any current hearing loss is not related to service. The appellant's lay statements were considered but did not outweigh the expert opinion.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the direct aspect of the Veteran's service connection claim and to provide proper VCAA notice regarding the secondary aspect of his claim. The Veteran will be given an opportunity to identify or submit any treatment records addressing the etiology of his tinnitus, including any relationship between such disorder and his service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded for further examination to determine their etiology, as the current VA examination report is inadequate.