Vertigo & vestibular disorders Board decisions

The Veteran is seeking service connection for vertigo, which he claims is secondary to his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus. The case is being remanded due to the need for a new VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's vertigo.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for increased evaluations of otitis media, positional vertigo, and PTSD as the appellant withdrew his appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for Meniere's disease and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence supports a link to service. The Veteran is entitled to an initial rating of 10 percent for migraine headaches.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a right foot disorder, right knee disorder, heart disorder, prostatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and degenerative disc disease of the spine. The decision also addressed service connection on a secondary basis for Meniere's Disease.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss was granted. The Board also found new and material evidence to reopen his claim of service connection for disequilibrium/vertigo, which is now pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations for various conditions, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, macular degeneration, vertigo, and headaches.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on loss of use of lower extremities due to vestibular neuropathy was denied. The issue of service connection for a neuropsychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, was also addressed but the rating assigned is not applicable as it pertains to special monthly compensation.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is related to his military service and whether it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected hearing loss and/or tinnitus.

The Board determined that the Veteran's current diagnosed headaches and vertigo were not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty military service.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an addendum opinion from the VA examiner regarding whether the Veteran's current vertigo, if any, is related to his service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss and Meniere's disease, including obtaining service personnel records and medical records from various locations.

The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral inner ear condition with vertigo and bilateral hearing loss, which he claims are related to an incident in 1966 when his eardrums were perforated while working as an ammo sergeant. The Board finds that further development is needed due to incomplete records.

The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether Meniere's disease with vertigo, migraine headaches, and perilymphatic fistula had its onset in service. The Veteran's current disabilities are therefore granted as incurred in service.

The Veteran seeks an increased rating for his service-connected Meniere's Disease, which is currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board has determined that additional examinations are needed to assess the current severity of the condition and its impact on daily activities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have hearing loss or a chronic ear disorder, and there is no evidence linking his tinnitus to service. The Board also found insufficient evidence to support secondary service connection for recurrent ear infections and vertigo.

The Veteran's dysphagia, headaches with numbness and tingling of the head, and vertigo are all found to be related to his service-connected right parotid adenocarcinoma treatment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for asthma, hypertension, anxiety and depression (secondary to Meniere's disease), and tinnitus. The claim of entitlement to service connection for asthma was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current vertigo, dizziness, and loss of balance are related to his in-service head injury. Therefore, service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for Meniere's disease and right carotid fibromuscular dysplasia with scar, status post right carotid endarterectomy was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the criteria of Diagnostic Code 6205 (Meniere's syndrome).