Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and the need for a new VA examination. The Veteran is seeking service connection for his bilateral ear condition, including chronic otitis externa and vertigo, which he contends are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including bilateral hearing loss, skin cancer, lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity neurological disability, head trauma residuals, vertigo, and vision disabilities. The effective date for PTSD service connection remains under review.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and Meniere's disease, but has remanded both issues due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied service connection for dizziness to include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and chronic headache disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a direct relationship with service or a service-connected condition.

The appeal for service connection of a left elbow condition is dismissed. Service connection for tinnitus has been granted, but the other issues are remanded.

The Board has remanded three issues: chronic tonsillitis, tension headaches, and dizziness (vertigo) to include as secondary to a service-connected disability. The Veteran's claims for these conditions are being referred back to the RO for further action.

Service connection granted for headaches and vertigo, but denied for arthritis of the cervical spine, right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder disability, and chest pain.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II has worsened and he should be provided an opportunity to report for a VA examination.,The Veteran’s hypertension preexisted service and the Board finds that an additional VA examination is warranted to determine if there was an increase in severity during his service, and if yes, whether the increase in severity was clearly and unmistakably not due to the natural progress of the disorder.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of his bilateral lower extremities are less likely as not related to his diabetes mellitus type II. An additional VA examination is warranted to determine the etiology of the Veteran’s peripheral neuropathy of his bilateral lower extremities.,At the April 2017 Travel Board hearing, the Veteran testified that he was unable to work due to his service-connected disabilities, including his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II. The claim for TDIU is remanded and will be inextricably intertwined with the claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus.,The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for vertigo and tinnitus are remanded as new and material evidence has been received.

The appeal to reopen the claim for service connection for Meniere's disease is granted. The Veteran's low back disorder claim is remanded due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's vestibular disorder is related to his military service, specifically noise exposure. The VA also needs to verify if the Veteran's military duties required him to travel to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) in Korea and obtain an opinion on whether his service-connected disabilities have aggravated his vestibular disorder.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left shoulder disorder, back disorder and Meniere’s syndrome with residuals of vertigo.

The Board has remanded the claims of bilateral knee disorder, vertigo, and migraine headaches due to inadequate medical examinations and failure to provide adequate statements of reasons and bases for the denial of the Veteran’s claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for right arm disability, ear disability (Meniere's syndrome), and acquired psychiatric disability are remanded due to the need for additional examinations. The appeals will be reconsidered after these examinations.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including those for headaches, an acquired psychiatric disorder, general arthralgia, a low back disability, bilateral hearing loss, vertigo and dizziness, tinnitus, gastrointestinal disorders, kidney disorder, and erectile dysfunction. The issues are being remanded due to the need for new evidence or further review.

The Board found that the Veteran's NOD was timely filed due to VA mailing the notification letter to an incorrect address, and thus granted her appeal for service connection on some conditions but denied it for others.

The Veteran's neck condition, back condition, left leg pain, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and vertigo with ear pain are all remanded for further development.,The Board is seeking additional medical opinions to determine the etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for partial loss of eyesight and granted service connection for peripheral vestibular disorder, which is a secondary condition to the Veteran's service-connected traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The Veteran's claims for vertigo, heart disorder, circulation disorder, kidney disorder (including renal failure), and thyroid disorder are all denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a relationship to service.,The Veteran's claim for heart disorder is denied because the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that it began during active service or is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The Veteran was not exposed to herbicide agents and ionizing radiation during service.

The Board has remanded several issues including service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities, obstructive sleep apnea, and peripheral vestibular disease. The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are also being evaluated further.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo. The conditions are found to be at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's in-service noise exposure during his time as a combat medic in Vietnam.