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Tinnitus Help

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mooose

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Been reading the forums for over a year now.. Great information out there!

Been back from deployment for just over a year now. I am currently rated at 10% for a back injury.

Ringing in my ears started while overseas and I filed as soon as I got back. Because of the optempo overseas I never got around to seeing a medic.

I was denied my claim for tinnitus. The reason was because they said I had no hearing loss and that if I didn't have hearing loss I could not have tinnitus. After I was denied my primary care VA doc sent me to an audiologist who found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus, next my doc set me up with a neurologist and after lots of testing the neuro doc came up with nothing. In my last appointment with the neuro doc, he said he would set me up with an ENT. A few weeks have passed and today I called the VA to check on the ENT appointment and they told me they would not see me because the ENT doc reviewed my chart and said it would not be a justified exam? So...I want to file a NOD and have been trying to figure out why I have the ringing through the VA, I am coming upon my year mark, can anyone tell me what to do to get some evidence to file with the NOD?

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Been reading the forums for over a year now.. Great information out there!

Been back from deployment for just over a year now. I am currently rated at 10% for a back injury.

Ringing in my ears started while overseas and I filed as soon as I got back. Because of the optempo overseas I never got around to seeing a medic.

I was denied my claim for tinnitus. The reason was because they said I had no hearing loss and that if I didn't have hearing loss I could not have tinnitus. After I was denied my primary care VA doc sent me to an audiologist who found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus, next my doc set me up with a neurologist and after lots of testing the neuro doc came up with nothing. In my last appointment with the neuro doc, he said he would set me up with an ENT. A few weeks have passed and today I called the VA to check on the ENT appointment and they told me they would not see me because the ENT doc reviewed my chart and said it would not be a justified exam? So...I want to file a NOD and have been trying to figure out why I have the ringing through the VA, I am coming upon my year mark, can anyone tell me what to do to get some evidence to file with the NOD?

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There are a few place you will find it in the regulation, but you do not have to have hearing loss. File an NOD the rater is blowing smoke.

5.2.8.1 Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a noise in the ears, such as ringing, buzzing, roaring, or clicking. The only requirement for a 10 percent evaluation is that the tinnitus is "recurrent." "Recurrent" is defined as "returning or happening time after time."

Theoretically, a veteran who experiences symptoms one or two days a month — every two months should be entitled to a 10 percent rating. Furthermore, the rating schedule also provides that a separate evaluation for tinnitus may be combined with an evaluation of other diagnostic codes.

Effective June 13, 2003, VA enacted a regulation codifying the standard VA practice of assigning only a single 10 percent evaluation for tinnitus, whether it is perceived in one ear, both ears, or somewhere in the head.

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All,

Some developments since my original post.

RECAP: I was denied by the C&P examiner originally because their machines did not show me meeting the thresholds for the rating. Also the denial letter said that I did not have signs of hearing loss and therefore did not have tinnitus.

Since the original exam I went and paid for a private exam and the doctor of audiology was kind enough to write me a nexus statement. I thought the nexus was very good. I used the recommendations found here on Hadlt.com and pre-wrote the letter the best I could and the doctor made corrections as she wanted. After submitting the NOD the VA wrote back stating that the claim was deferred. Yesterday I got a call from the VA for another C&P exam for tinnitus. I asked the VA rep calling what new evidence they thought they would find, I explained to her the history I have already stated below including everything about the nexus statement. The only thing she could recommend was to take a copy of the nexus with me when I go to the C&P exam.

I will be upset if this C&P says the same thing the first one did. Not sure what else to do? Thoughts?

Thanks.

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