The Board has granted service connection for a sinus condition, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is related to his military service. However, it denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, concluding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his time in service.,Service connection was not established for bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus due to lack of a nexus between the conditions and service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that while the Veteran had complaints of sinus issues during service, there was insufficient medical evidence linking these symptoms to his current condition. The VA examiner's opinion supported this conclusion by noting no objective evidence of a sinus condition in the Veteran’s STRs.,For hearing loss and tinnitus, the Board determined that the Veteran did not have a current disability meeting VA standards for hearing loss (due to lack of adequate audiometric testing) or tinnitus. The VA examiner opined that there was insufficient evidence linking these conditions to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Sinus condition, Bilateral hearing loss, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18155809
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 18155809.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.