Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2017

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's tinnitus aggravated his diagnosed benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).

The Veteran's bilateral eye disorder, diagnosed as dry eye syndrome and keratitis, was found to be related to his active service. The Board also granted the claim for vertigo based on a finding that it is at least as likely as not incurred in or caused by military service.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, and status post total left knee replacement were denied due to lack of a nexus between service and current disability. The claim for IHD was not addressed as it is not part of the appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's vertigo is not related to service, but his peripheral vestibular disorder is secondary to service-connected tinnitus and/or Parkinson's Disease. The claim for increased rating of peripheral neuropathy remains pending.

The Veteran's Meniere's disease, diabetes mellitus type II, and coronary artery disease are all presumed to be related to his service in Vietnam due to herbicide exposure. The Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a lung disorder and vertigo, finding that there is no evidence to support an in-service event or exposure related to these conditions.

The Board has determined that Meniere's disease was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and is not proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's current vertigo disability did not have its onset in service and is not related to any disease, injury or event in service. The claim for service connection was denied.

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

The Board found that the Veteran's vertigo and loss of balance did not begin in service or due to noise exposure, and were not proximately caused by his service-connected left shoulder disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased rating of 10 percent for vertigo, indicating satisfaction with the current rating.

The Veteran was granted service connection for joint pain, fatigue, parathesis, and myalgia. The condition is presumed to be due to an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multi-system illness.,Service connection for pes planus, bronchitis (claimed as respiratory disorder), vertigo (claimed as dizzy spells), and headaches were denied.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his representative, and thus the case is dismissed.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected TBI with headaches and vertigo warrants a 50 percent disability rating, effective April 8, 2013. Additionally, the Board grants a separate 10 percent disability rating for vertigo under DC 6204.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including frequent urination, fungus of the toenails, vertigo, numbness of the feet and hands, fever/sweating, and chest rash, were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to service or herbicide exposure.,The Veteran's claims are not supported by medical evidence linking his conditions to service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have Meniere's disease and his vertigo is not etiologically related to service-connected hearing loss or tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for vertigo, bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, sleep apnea, left knee disorder, and carpal tunnel syndrome were denied. The Veteran's claim for TDIU was added to the issues on appeal.

The Veteran's diabetes was not incurred in or is otherwise related to his period of active service.,Cold weather injury residuals, arthritis, gout, hypertension, an eye disorder (ultraviolet keratitis), a gastrointestinal disorder (colitis), an acquired psychiatric disorder (depressive disorder), vertigo, and a kidney disorder are not shown to be related to his period of active service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination by an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's Meniere's disease. The issues include service connection for Meniere's disease and otitis media of the right ear.

The Board found that the Veteran's middle ear dysfunction with vertigo did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and there is no medical evidence linking it to his period of service. The VA examiner concluded that the current diagnosis of vestibular neuritis was first diagnosed in 1999, which comes more than three decades after his discharge from service. The Board also found that the Veteran's middle ear dysfunction with vertigo is not proximately caused or aggravated by his service-connected tinnitus disability.