Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and development of the record to address his claims for tinnitus, PTSD, and TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss due to aggravation during service. The issue of tinnitus is remanded as the VA examination report did not consider the Veteran's reports of in-service noise exposure and tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including depressive disorder associated with migraine headaches and migraine headaches, are shown to be of such nature and severity as to preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus and infertility were denied as the evidence did not support a link to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus was incurred during active military service, and thus grants the claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disability, tinnitus, and NHL were denied. The Board found that there was no relationship between the current disabilities and service or service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since September 12, 2005. He is also service-connected for ischemic heart disease and tinnitus. The Board finds that the Veteran meets the criteria for a total disability rating based on unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities.

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

The Board has found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are etiologically related to his active military service period, resulting in a grant of service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions. The appeal will be remanded to the RO/AMC for further action.

The Board has remanded the case due to an insufficient VA examination, and the Veteran's service connection claims for hearing loss and tinnitus are being returned to the RO/AMC for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted effective February 18, 2009. The Board found that the original May 1971 application included both hearing acuity and tinnitus.

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

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated mental health treatment records and scheduling a VA psychiatric examination. The TDIU claim will also be considered.

The Veteran's heart condition, diagnosed as ischemic heart disease, is presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to herbicide agents. The Board also found that the Veteran's hypertension and bilateral hearing loss disability are related to his service-connected heart condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The evidence does not support the presence of major or minor seizures, ulcers, tinnitus, headaches, left foot disorder, kidney disorder, colitis, or liver disorder that are related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of a chronic disability during service and the delay between any potential onset and service is too long to attribute these conditions to military noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were granted, but he is not entitled to a compensable rating for his bilateral hearing loss. The effective date of the tinnitus grant remains October 15, 2007.

The Veteran has bilateral tinnitus that is as likely as not related to his active duty service. The Board finds it at least as likely as not that the Veteran's tinnitus was incurred in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ankle disability, tinnitus, and headaches were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The psychiatric disorder (posttraumatic stress disorder) is related to service but the claim for service connection remains pending as it was not addressed in this decision.