The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether it is related to military service.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was denied, with the Board concluding there is not enough evidence to support a link between the condition and the Veteran's military service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that while the Veteran reported noise exposure during service, there was no medical evidence of acoustic trauma or hearing loss in either ear. The examiner concluded tinnitus may occur following various exposures but provided no evidence to support a latent injury.,The VA examiner opined that sleep apnea is not pathognomonic for symptoms like snoring and lack of sleep alone are insufficient to diagnose the condition. The examiner also noted that service treatment records did not indicate any diagnosis of sleep apnea until 15 years after separation, and risk factors such as obesity and craniofacial abnormalities were more likely causes.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20070578
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, cubital tunnel syndrome, right plantar fasciitis, and a right knee disability due to the lack of evidence supporting a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
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