Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for referral to VA's Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during active service and have continued since. Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of current disability.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus and Parkinson's disease due to exposure to herbicides. Service connection is also granted for other trauma and stressor related disorder. Obstructive sleep apnea will be remanded as secondary to the service-connected condition.,The Veteran's claim for obstructive sleep apnea, which he contends is due to Agent Orange exposure or his service-connected psychiatric disorder, has been remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for TBI, an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD, anxiety, MDD, and alcohol/drug abuse), a sleep disorder (insomnia), acid reflux, and erectile dysfunction (ED).,The appellant's current diagnoses do not meet the criteria for service connection as his bilateral hearing loss does not meet VA's definition of a disability.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates for service connection have been denied as the earliest possible effective date is October 1, 2016, the day after his separation from active service.,The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings on multiple disabilities have been remanded due to new evidence received since the last decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder and DMII were reopened due to new evidence. The right ankle disability appeal was dismissed as the benefit sought has been granted in full. Service connection for dyslipidemia was denied because it is not a qualifying disability for VA purposes. Other issues are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss in the left ear was granted, as there is at least a balance of evidence to support this finding. The right ear hearing loss claim was denied due to insufficient evidence linking it to service.,Service connection for tinnitus was also granted, supported by credible statements from the Veteran regarding its onset during service.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim is denied as the maximum schedular rating has been assigned.,The claim for service connection for sleep apnea was previously denied, but reopened due to new and material evidence. The issue remains on appeal.,The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, status post left knee injury with mild arthritis, otitis media, and hearing loss are all remanded for further evaluation.,The Veteran's service connection claim for sleep apnea is remanded as new evidence has been received. The issue remains on appeal.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is also remanded due to the inextricably intertwined nature with other issues.

Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and insomnia secondary to tinnitus.,The Veteran's current bilateral knee conditions are remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has determined that new evidence supports reopening of these claims. The mental health disorder claim is granted as it is related to his military service.

The appeal for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is dismissed. The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings for migraine headaches and tinnitus are remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a left wrist disability and tinnitus are decided as follows: The claim for a left wrist disability is denied, while the claim for tinnitus is granted.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of tinnitus before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has remanded three issues: bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a respiratory condition. The reasons for this are that there was a pre-decisional duty to assist error in not rescheduling the VA examinations, and that a TERA examination is needed for the tinnitus and respiratory claims.

The Veteran's initial rating for tinnitus and hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the maximum schedular rating of 10% had been assigned, and there were no new or material evidence to reopen the claims. Effective dates prior to November 13, 2013, for service connection were also denied.

The Veteran's eligibility for PCAFC benefits is remanded due to unclear notice and need for clarification of the denial reasons. The VA must provide proper notice, clarify the reasoning of the denial, and provide legally adequate reasons and bases for the denial.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's tinnitus claim should be remanded due to a failure to obtain relevant VA audiogram results.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to his in-service noise exposure, and service connection for this condition is granted.,Service connection for tinnitus as secondary to the Veteran's now service-connected bilateral hearing loss is also granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated his obesity, which is a factor in developing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The VA examiner must consider and discuss each specific service-connected disability and the potential individual and collective impacts of toxic exposure risk activities on his disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are as likely as not of such nature and severity as to prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since June 5, 2013.