Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his military service, including exposure to noise during active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, hay fever or allergic rhinitis, and COPD or asthma, were not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to October 11, 2006 for service connection for tinnitus and right ear hearing loss disability have been granted.

The Veteran was diagnosed with Meniere's disease during a period of ACDUTRA from April 2005 to July 2005. The Board finds it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran developed Meniere's disease during this period and has been continuously symptomatic since then.,The Veteran was diagnosed with tinnitus, which he reported having since his teens. His right ear hearing loss preceded the development of Meniere's disease by several years.

The Veteran was granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus and residuals of a shrapnel wound to the chest. Service connection is also granted for PTSD with an initial rating of 50 percent.,However, the case remains pending for the issue of entitlement to an increased rating for PTSD.

The Board determined that the appellant's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there was no credible evidence to support his assertions of in-service noise exposure or continuity of symptoms.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to in-service acoustic trauma and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, and he was granted an initial evaluation of 30 percent for his PTSD from May 15, 2007 to August 31, 2009. The appeal regarding the increased rating for PTSD from September 1, 2009, to the present remains pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to reopen his previously denied claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 due to lack of new and material evidence, concluding that the additional disabilities were not caused by VA carelessness or negligence.

The Veteran does not have arthritis, hearing loss, tinnitus, or an eye disorder that is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for residuals of right foot surgery, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were denied as there is no credible evidence showing that he underwent such surgeries during service or at any time.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have insomnia or bronchitis, and thus cannot establish service connection for these conditions. The claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including anxiety and PTSD), hearing loss, tinnitus, a groin disorder, and bilateral foot disability are remanded to allow for further development.

The Board has granted an effective date of June 28, 2004 for the assignment of a 50 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for tinnitus. The earlier effective date is based on liberalizing regulations that became effective in 1999.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the competent clinical evidence of record is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's tinnitus was incurred in active service. For the other issues, including an increased evaluation for lumbar disc disease with history of scoliosis and a compensable evaluation for hemorrhoids, the decision is mixed due to some issues being granted while others are denied. The effective date issue regarding lumbar disc disease remains pending.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective date, increased rating, and service connection are denied. The appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss of the right ear has been reopened and granted. The Board finds that there is sufficient evidence to establish a link between his in-service noise exposure and current tinnitus, warranting service connection.,Service connection for tinnitus of the right ear has also been granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision is based on a lack of current diagnoses for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and therefore, his surviving spouse is not entitled to service connection for the cause of his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. The claim for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, has also been granted.