Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and needs further development before a final decision can be made.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including review of the claims file by a psychologist and consideration of an additional statement submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, glaucoma, pituitary testicular disorder and vertigo have been denied as they are not related to service or a service-connected disability.,Service connection has been denied for diabetes mellitus due to lack of evidence linking it to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. Glaucoma, pituitary testicular disorder and vertigo were also not found to be directly related to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to in-service noise exposure, warranting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a Board hearing at his local Regional Office. The issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are pending.

The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for PTSD was granted, and he is now rated at 50 percent. The TDIU claim was also granted.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 70 percent, which meets the criteria for a TDIU under VA regulations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling the Veteran for VA examinations to assess his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, including noise exposure during military service. The preponderance of evidence is against both claims for service connection.

The Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by his active military service.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU benefits is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if his service-connected disabilities render him unemployable.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are related to his military service, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus is as likely as not incurred in or aggravated by service, while his right ear hearing loss disability is less likely than not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation. The case will also be reviewed to consider whether he qualifies for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disorders on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has remanded the case for another VA examination to determine if the Veteran's tinnitus is related to service or due to his service-connected hypertension.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and thus denied both claims.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not render him unemployable prior to July 15, 2008. The Board found that the evidence does not indicate he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an addendum from the VA examiner regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issues of service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are inextricably intertwined, so they must be deferred until the hearing loss issue is resolved.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of an OSHA-defined threshold shift during service. The examiner opined that it is less likely as not that the current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to military service.