The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus did not have onset during active service, was not otherwise etiologically related to active service, and denied his claim for service connection. The issue of bilateral hearing loss is addressed in the REMAND portion.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's tinnitus was not related to in-service noise exposure and was more likely due to non-military etiologies such as aging, medication use, diabetes, high blood pressure and caffeine. The examiner also noted that the Veteran's hearing loss had a relatively recent onset and was not the type of tinnitus associated with acoustic trauma.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 26, 2016
- Citation
- 1629679
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 1629679.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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