Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus disabilities.,There is no evidence of a current disability in any of these conditions during or within one year after service.

The Board has granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis prior to August 7, 2019, finding that the Veteran's service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities precluded him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected right eustachian tube dysfunction and residuals of perforated tympanic membrane is remanded due to the need for further examination and consideration of all related conditions.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability for VA purposes.,The Veteran's claim for tinnitus is granted as his tinnitus is etiologically related to noise exposure in service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted, finding that his tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to his active duty service.,Service connection for actinic keratosis with chronic solar radiation damage was also granted, attributing the condition to sun exposure during deployment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis prior to February 7, 2022, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's tinnitus. The AOJ will seek another opinion from a qualified medical specialist to determine if the tinnitus is related to military service or other conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected.,For the left knee, the Veteran is still seeking an increased rating.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's tinnitus claim is granted, but has remanded the bilateral hearing loss claim due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates have been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates have been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates have been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date has been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date has been withdrawn.,New evidence has been submitted to reopen the service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea, but further review is needed before a decision can be made.,The Veteran's service connection claim for hypertension remains pending and requires additional development.,The Veteran's service connection claim for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) remains pending and requires additional development.,The Veteran's service connection claim for a neck disability remains pending and requires additional development.,The Veteran's service connection claim for traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains pending and requires additional development.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) was denied due to the lack of current diagnosis and no evidence linking his symptoms to active duty. The claim for TDIU was also denied as the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable.

The Veteran's tinnitus and right ear hearing loss are granted service connection, but left ear hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for service connection, except for a grant of entitlement to a separate compensable evaluation for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the Veteran not reporting for a VA examination scheduled in December 2018. The case will be returned for further action.

The Board has denied the claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during military service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various disabilities, including chronic gout, hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as depression), diabetes mellitus, migraine headaches, a sleep disorder with insomnia, tinnitus, and a back disability. The reasons include the need to verify the appellant's claimed service, particularly whether he served in line of duty during any periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, or INACDUTRA.

The Veteran's tinnitus and acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder with secondary alcohol use disorder, are granted. Bilateral hearing loss and a back disability remain pending as they were remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have begun during active service and thus service connection is granted.,Service connection for hypertension cannot be established as the evidence does not support a finding that it began or was aggravated by active duty, ACDUTRA, or INACDUTRA.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the Veteran's headaches and their relationship to service, tinnitus, and prior treatment. The Veteran will need to provide records from his private provider and undergo a VA examination.