Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's PTSD caused his obesity and thus his sleep apnea. Service connection for Meniere's disease was denied as there is no current disability.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinion regarding service connection for bilateral hearing loss and Meniere's disease is inadequate, necessitating a remand to obtain further clarification on whether the Veteran's conditions preexisted service or are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's vertigo is found to have been incurred during his active service, and he is granted service connection for this condition.,An increased rating of 20 percent, but no higher, is granted for the Veteran's left ankle disability (synovitis with lateral collateral ligament sprain).,The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include major depressive disorder, is remanded due to the need for a VA examination.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for sinusitis is remanded due to the need for a new opinion regarding preexistence of the condition.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus, Meniere's disease, sinusitis, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, and bilateral pes planus. The VA examiner must consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding her alleged incidents during service and her lack of post-service treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran currently has a diagnosis for dizziness and/or vertigo, including Meniere's disease. The examiner is requested to provide an opinion on whether these symptoms are related to service or secondary to hearing loss/tinnitus.

The Veteran's left ear drum rupture with vertigo is rated at 30 percent since June 10, 2021, and a separate 10 percent rating for chronic otitis externa has been granted since September 12, 2016.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development of evidence, particularly regarding the etiology and aggravation of the Veteran's peripheral vestibular disorder by service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including prostate condition, kidney stones, cysts on adrenal glands, and vestibular dysfunction with vertigo, balance issues, and nausea. The remand requires additional development to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches was granted, while claims for obstructive sleep apnea and vertigo were denied. A 20 percent rating was granted for the right ankle disability from December 8, 2010.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for headaches, a right ankle condition, vertigo (claimed as dizziness), a right hip condition, and right ear hearing loss.

The Board has decided that additional development is necessary to determine if the Veteran was exposed to chemical or biological agents in service, which could impact her claims for various conditions. The case is being remanded for further investigation.

The Board has granted service connection for vertigo and lightheadedness as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for Meniere's disease and right ear hearing loss due to in-service noise exposure. The VA examiners are requested to provide additional opinions addressing whether these conditions are secondary to his service-connected left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, or directly related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a balance disorder, including BPPV and ETD, as it found no evidence that these conditions were related to his active service or service-connected hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of an increased rating for his ear disability, to include bilateral hearing loss, due to further development and examination being necessary.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of TDIU, finding that entitlement to a TDIU did not arise during the year prior to January 12, 2012 due to non-service-connected vertigo/Meniere's disease impacting employment.

The Veteran's appeals regarding sleep disorder, allergic rhinitis, and Meniere's disease have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal in December 2019 and January 2021.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's obesity and her claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's current left knee disability is related to his active service. The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a left knee injury.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for any ear disability, including hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo; and hypertension. The reasons include a lack of complete STRs and personnel records, as well as outstanding VA treatment records.