The Board found that the veteran's left ear conditions, including otitis media and hearing loss, existed prior to entry into service and that the worsening of these conditions was clearly due to the natural progression of her preservice left ear otitis media. Therefore, service connection is denied.
The deciding factor: The worsening of the preservice left ear otitis media with tympanic membrane perforation and cholesteatoma with canal stenosis was clearly and unmistakably the result of the natural progression of these conditions; the preservice left ear hearing loss did not increase in severity during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Ear Condition, Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 6, 2000
- Citation
- 0023701
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0023701.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
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