Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have left ear hearing loss as defined by VA regulation and right ear hearing loss was not manifest during service or until many years thereafter. The preponderance of evidence is against finding a connection between the Veteran's diagnosed right ear sensorineural hearing loss and his active service, including noise exposure. Tinnitus was also not manifest during service and the preponderance of evidence is against finding a connection to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, has been denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder in the record and thus cannot grant service connection. For tinnitus, the case was remanded but not yet resolved.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim and granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new evidence submitted since the July 1995 RO decision raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA examination for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus is found to be the primary cause of his neurological symptoms in the upper extremities, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and irritable bowel syndrome. Service connection for a brain tumor was not established.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the failure to appear for a scheduled Travel Board hearing. The case will be processed again with the appropriate scheduling of a new hearing.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further development, including obtaining an updated medical opinion regarding his employability due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board finds that service connection for residuals of second-degree burns on the palms with nerve damage is not warranted due to inadequate evidence of current disability. The remaining claims are remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus on an extraschedular basis and for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not service-connected, with no presumption of exposure to ionizing radiation. The VA opinions found no evidence linking the current conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for hearing loss of the right ear was denied as he does not currently have a diagnosed condition. The Board found that his left ear hearing loss is presumed to be due to in-service noise exposure, but did not find any evidence linking tinnitus to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of a current disability related to military noise exposure. The preponderance of the evidence is against a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted, as his combined service-connected disabilities (80% and later 90%) meet the criteria for a TDIU. The VA examiner found that all of the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including diabetes mellitus type 2, aggravated his rosacea.

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

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not aggravated by service, and the Board found no increase in disability during service. The Veteran's tinnitus was not related to his active duty service.,Tinnitus was diagnosed after service but is not considered a result of noise exposure during service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service and grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, including exposure to noise from grenades, M-16 rifles, trucks, and engine explosions. As a result, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus before a decision was made by the Board.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service.