Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that the appellant is not in need of regular aid and attendance or housebound status, as her disabilities do not render her so helpless.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and depression. The decision on vertigo is pending in the REMAND portion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Meniere's disease is causally related to his active duty service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus is assigned a 10 percent evaluation, the maximum authorized under Diagnostic Code 6260. The Board finds that there is no legal basis for an increased rating.

The Veteran's vertigo, claimed as Meniere's disease, has been objectively shown to be manifested by no more than episodic dizziness without staggering. Therefore, the claim for an initial evaluation higher than 10 percent is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's motion sickness (claimed as vertigo with nausea) is related to his service or any other condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected vertigo, finding that the earliest effective date is April 1, 2003.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain clarification of the opinions provided by the VA examiner regarding whether the Veteran currently has a disorder manifested by vertigo and/or dizziness, and if so, whether that disorder was incurred in or aggravated by active duty service or a service-connected disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Travel Board hearing. The issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and vertigo are still under consideration.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings have been withdrawn by his representative.

The Veteran's benign positional vertigo is manifested by dizziness, loss of balance, and unsteadiness or staggering. The Board has granted a disability rating of 30 percent for this condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and Meniere's disease, finding that new evidence submitted since the June 2008 decision is not material to reopen the claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Meniere's disease, neck disability, right shoulder disability, and back disability has been granted. The conditions are linked to military noise exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for various disabilities, including depression, a neck scar, Meniere's disease, and bilateral leg paralysis. The new and material evidence claims were also denied.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's claim to reopen and his claim for a higher rating for hypertensive heart disease are decided herein. The claim to reopen is granted, as new and material evidence has been received. The claim for an increased rating for hypertensive heart disease is denied.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for ear infection and vertigo or syncopal episodes is granted.

The Veteran's hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo were not found to be related to his military service.,A rating in excess of the assigned evaluations for peptic ulcer disease was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected rhinosinusitis is characterized by nasal polyps and symptoms most closely approximating constant sinusitis with headaches, pain, and tenderness of affected sinus, as well as purulent discharge after repeated surgeries. The Board has determined that a disability evaluation of 50 percent throughout the appeal period is appropriate.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied.,New evidence has not been received to reopen previously denied claims of fibromyalgia, right knee disability, gastritis, vertigo with syncope, stomach ulcers, or a heart condition.