Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and may not be presumed to have been so incurred or aggravated.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed, including obtaining service personnel records and verifying the veteran's claimed stressors. The case will be remanded for these purposes.

The Board found that the veteran's depression is unrelated to his service-connected sick sinus syndrome, and denied both claims for hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and skin cancer as secondary to exposure to herbicides. The Board found that there was no evidence of current residuals of skin cancer, and that the veteran did not have a history of relevant treatment during service or ACDUTRA. The Board also noted that Agent Orange use at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in 1966-1967 is not one of the diseases eligible for service connection based on exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has dismissed the appellant's appeals as to his claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD is denied as the evidence does not show that the veteran's PTSD symptoms more closely approximate the criteria for a 50% rating.

The Board granted a noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and assigned an effective date of February 11, 2004, for the award of service connection for tinnitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for loss of teeth other than numbers 3 through 10, increased rating for loss of teeth numbers 3 through 10, and an effective date prior to August 24, 1999, for the grant of service connection for complete loss of sense of smell.

The veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been fully resolved, with the RO granting such benefits in an August 2007 rating decision. The issues are therefore dismissed.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any of the claimed disabilities due to exposure to carbon tetrachloride during service. The claims for service connection are therefore denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, a left knee disability, tinea cruris, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus as there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not begin during or as a result of his military service.

The Board has determined that the current VA audiological examination is inadequate and remands the case for a new examination to determine if the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service.

The Board found no evidence of in-service hearing loss or tinnitus, and the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not shown to be related to service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence showing these conditions were caused by his time in service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are denied as there is no evidence of a current disability during or within one year after service, and continuity of symptomatology was not shown. The claim to reopen for an acquired psychiatric disorder remains pending.

The Board found no evidence of current neuropathy, chronic headache disorder, tinnitus, TMJ dysfunction, skin rash, back disorder, heart disorder, or kidney disorder. The veteran's service records do not show any such conditions during his military service.

The Board has determined that service connection is granted for left ear hearing loss disability and tinnitus, but denied for right ear hearing loss disability.

The veteran's claims for an initial higher rating for PTSD, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for tinnitus were all denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support granting any of these claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in medical opinions regarding the etiology of the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which may be related to service. The claims will be re-adjudicated after a new examination.