Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a VA TBI examination and for issuance of a statement of the case regarding initial ratings for degenerative spondylosis of the cervical spine, hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability or tinnitus disability that is etiologically related to service. The preponderance of evidence is against finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are due to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim for service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's current tinnitus was manifest in service and has continued since service, thus service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, a neck disability, and a left shoulder disability are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations to determine the existence of current disabilities and their etiology.

The Veteran's psychiatric disorder is found to be proximately due to or the result of his service-connected intervertebral degenerative disc disease with spinal stenosis and atrophy of the spinal cord.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have hearing loss or a chronic ear disorder, and there is no evidence linking his tinnitus to service. The Board also found insufficient evidence to support secondary service connection for recurrent ear infections and vertigo.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and a varicose vein disorder with ulcer in the left leg, but denied service connection for other conditions. The effective date is set at April 2, 2001.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU based on their combined rating of 60 percent. The RO denied referral to the Director, Compensation and Pension Service, due to lack of evidence showing unemployability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus developed during his period of active duty service. For his bilateral knee disorders, a VA examination is required to determine if they are related to his periods of ACDUTRA and AD service.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus is not service-connected and denied his claim for lumbosacral strain due to lack of evidence showing a connection between his current condition and service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen the claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypothyroidism. Service connection was also denied for PTSD, IBS, sleep apnea, and a right hand disorder. A right ankle disorder claim is being remanded.

The Veteran does not have hearing loss or tinnitus that was caused or aggravated by his service. His pre-existing right ear hearing loss did not undergo an increase in severity during service, and there is no post-service medical evidence of treatment for hearing loss prior to July 2007.

The Board found no evidence of a hearing loss disability within one year following service and denied the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as not related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss meets the regulatory thresholds to be considered disabling for VA compensation purposes. The Board also found that the Veteran's tinnitus is as likely as not a symptom associated with his hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, which include bilateral hearing loss (60%), PTSD (30%), shell fragment wound to the left knee (20%), tinnitus (10%), degenerative changes of the left knee (10%), and varicosities of the left leg (10%), do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are related to her in-service noise exposure, whether her pre-existing left ear hearing loss was aggravated by her second period of service, and to provide opinions on these issues.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and a need for further examination regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board finds that service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus in the right ear, as the evidence supports a finding of current disability related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are likely due to noise exposure during her service in the Gulf War, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

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