Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, skin cancer, coronary artery disease, bilateral peripheral neuropathy, erectile dysfunction, kidney condition, hypertension, and tinnitus. The decisions were based on a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have hearing loss or tinnitus that is attributable to his active military service. The VA examinations and medical opinions provided no evidence linking these conditions to his time in service.

The Board has remanded the TDIU claim for further development, including obtaining a VA medical opinion on whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The case is also being returned to the RO with updated treatment records and readjudicated.

The Board has decided on the service connection claims, but new evidence submitted by the Veteran after the initial decision was not considered. The case is being remanded to consider this new evidence and determine if it should be used to vacate or modify the previous decisions.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been rated at the maximum 10 percent disability rating under the applicable VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities. The evidence does not support a higher rating for either condition during the entire initial rating period.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be incurred during active service, and the Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran withdrew all appeals prior to the Board's decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for vision disorder, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, cervical spine strain with degenerative arthritis, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence did not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is likely due to in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition. The claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains pending as there are no current VA purposes disabilities documented.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are as likely as not related to his active service, including exposure to loud noise during his time in an artillery unit.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is found to have its onset during service and granted service connection. The right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability and tinnitus are etiologically related to noise exposure during active service, while his right ear hearing loss disability does not meet VA standards for a current disability. Therefore, he is granted service connection for left ear hearing loss disability and tinnitus but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining records from private healthcare providers and seeking reasonable efforts to obtain these records. The Veteran's claims for service connection on appeal will be readjudicated after this development.

The Board denied service connection for glomerulonephritis, hearing loss, and tinnitus as secondary to a service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, singly or in combination, do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining any form of substantially gainful employment.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to service, as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military noise exposure. The Veteran's statements from VA forms and medical records do not provide sufficient credible evidence to support a finding that his hearing loss and tinnitus began during or were caused by his active duty.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for renal glycosuria and diabetes mellitus were denied in November 1988. The claim to reopen the issue of service connection for diabetes mellitus was denied by the Board in November 1989, which became final. New evidence received since these decisions is not considered new and material.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there is no evidence of chloracne, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, hepatitis C, a skin disorder (including a rash and benign tumors of the face and back), or a right knee disorder during his military service. The exposure basis was presumed due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.