Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has granted an initial rating of 30 percent for migraine headaches, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD. The evidence did not show that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral tinnitus was incurred in active service due to noise exposure during his military service.,Service connection is also granted for pleomorphic adenoma with salivary gland acinar fragments, claimed as a gland/cyst/abscess. The Board found this condition related to service based on the veteran's reported history of treatment for swollen glands and throat discomfort in service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus related to his active service. His claim for an increased rating for spondylolisthesis is granted with a 20% disability rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's chronic tinnitus, dental trauma residuals, and a chronic skin disorder (jungle rot) are all service-connected based on direct evidence of their onset during active duty.

The Board denied service connection for heart disease, hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The veteran withdrew his appeals for the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus prior to a decision being made by the Board. The appeal for an initial evaluation in excess of 50 percent for PTSD remains pending.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is not related to service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a current disability. The VA examiner concluded that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are more likely due to post-service occupational and recreational noise exposure.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus is assigned a 10 percent evaluation, the maximum rating authorized under Diagnostic Code (DC) 6260. There is no legal basis for an increased evaluation.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not presented to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as there is no evidence showing a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral tinnitus is assigned a maximum 10 percent disability rating, as the condition does not warrant a higher evaluation under the applicable diagnostic code.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and chronic tinnitus. The case is being remanded to determine if the veteran's current right knee disability, which may be aggravated by his service-connected left total knee replacement, was caused or worsened by that condition.

The VA determined that the veteran does not have tinnitus attributable to his period of military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral tinnitus and low back disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions, including lumbar spine disorder, bilateral knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo, and chronic sinusitis, were not incurred or aggravated by active service. The Board found no clear and unmistakable evidence of pre-existing conditions during service and concluded that there is insufficient medical evidence to establish a link between the current disabilities and military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his active military service, specifically exposure to loud gunfire during training. As a result, the veteran is granted service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there is no evidence of in-service acoustic trauma or a current disability. The VA examiner concluded that these conditions could not be attributed to military service without resorting to medical speculation.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical examination and further development is required.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a TDIU, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable. The evidence showed he had cognitive disorder and PTSD but was still capable of performing light duty work.