Vertigo & vestibular disorders Board decisions

The claims of service connection for otitis media, tinnitus secondary to otitis media, and vertigo secondary to otitis media are being remanded due to insufficient development.

The Board finds that the Veteran did not incur an injury involving the spine, upper or lower extremities, or genitourinary system during active service. The symptoms of residuals from a rocket fragment wound to the thoracolumbar spine are not chronic and have not been unremitting since service separation.

The Board has reviewed the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including abnormal weight loss, hypertension, hyperlipidia, fatigue, fluid build-up in the ears, headaches, bilateral hearing loss, joint pain, loss of body hair, muscle pain, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, sleep disturbances, and vertigo. However, there is no evidence to support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service or are related to such service.

The Veteran's vertigo is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if it is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's disability manifested by dizziness and vertigo, to include labyrinthitis and Meniere's syndrome, is representative of symptoms that most closely approximate hearing impairment with attacks of vertigo and cerebellar gait occurring from one to four times per month, with associated tinnitus. The criteria for a 60 percent rating have been met.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's discontinuity of middle ear ossicles, manifested by vertigo and a cerebellar gait, is aggravated by his service-connected left ear hearing loss. As such, the claim for secondary service connection is granted.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding service connection for vertigo and temporomandibular articulation, as well as a claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his representative prior to the Board making a decision.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and Meniere's disease were not service-connected. The Board denied her claims for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss (Meniere's disease) and service connection for TMJ dysfunction.

The Board found that the Veteran's Meniere's syndrome was not incurred or aggravated by service and is not related to his service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. The claim for service connection was therefore denied.

The Veteran claims his Meniere's syndrome was incurred in service. The Board is requesting additional records to determine the etiology of his condition and whether it is related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records. The Veteran's hypertension is being evaluated in relation to his service-connected Meniere's disease.

The Board found that the non-VA medical treatment provided on June 25, 2009 was not authorized by VA and did not meet the criteria for emergency treatment. Therefore, payment or reimbursement of the expenses is denied.

The Veteran's vertigo is manifested by occasional dizziness, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for voiding dysfunction, as a residual of adenocarcinoma of the prostate, is denied. The RO has granted a 40 percent rating for this disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination to determine if his vertigo is related to service and for obtaining any outstanding VA treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current cervical spine disability and residuals of head injury, including headaches and vertigo, are related to traumatic accidents during active service. The decision is based on evidence in relative equipoise.

The Board has found that the Veteran's vertigo is related to his noise exposure during military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for tinnitus and Meniere's disease due to inadequate examination reports, lack of in-service noise exposure documentation, and need for clarification regarding when symptoms began.

The Board has determined that the issues of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II; left acoustic neuroma/vestibular schwannoma; coronary artery disease; erectile dysfunction; hypertension; diabetic retinopathy; any other eye disability (other than diabetic retinopathy); dry skin (xerosis); bilateral hearing loss; tinnitus; neuropathy; and a disability manifested by numbness of the hands are not ready for decision due to lack of probative evidence of a nexus to service.