The Veteran's claim for service connection for a perforated ear drum is denied as there is no evidence of such condition during his active duty or thereafter. The claims for headaches and psychiatric disability are also denied due to lack of competent medical evidence supporting the claimed conditions.
The deciding factor: There is no documented perforated ear drum in the Veteran's service records, and current VA examinations do not confirm any present hearing impairment. The Veteran's reported history of a perforated ear drum during service is not supported by objective medical evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic muscle tension headaches, Perforated ear drum, Psychiatric disability (including PTSD and major depressive disorder)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2013
- Citation
- 1334233
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 1334233.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical strain, chronic muscle tension headaches, and peripheral neuropathy of the ulnar nerve of the left upper extremity due to outstanding VA treatment records and the need for updated VA examinations.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for compensation due to a perforated ear drum and an acquired psychiatric disorder resulting from a March 2016 VA procedure is denied. The psychiatric claim is remanded for further evaluation.
- Denied
The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for vertigo, finding that the Veteran did not file a formal or informal claim for this condition prior to April 11, 2013.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a perforated ear drum, and tinnitus due to unresolved medical questions. The Veteran's claims are not supported by competent evidence establishing a nexus between his current conditions and service.
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