Tinnitus Help

[mooose]

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?

[stevenje98]

The VA i think gives 10 percent for this, but you have hearing loss of some kind if you have Tinnitus. I suggest you get some hearing aids if the audiologist recommends them. The VA should give about 30 percent with hearing aids.

Tinnitus does not get better is get worse as you get older. thus you have hearing loss sooner. Also heaing aids will help with ringing in your ears belive it or not. many audiologist know this.

[stevenje98]

Okay..after thinking about all this for some time. I feel like the reasons I am having this ringing are BP, Stress, and MEDs.

Do you all think that they deny the tinnitus stress connection because I do not have a claim for the stress? Any advise is appreciated.

Tinnitus and stress are not related in anyway despite what you read on the internet. BP and meds might effect your hearing, but only temporary. It seems you were exposed to long durations of loud high frequency noise. This will damage the nerves in your inner ear, thus you get Tinnitus, along with hearing loss. you need to have some sort of masking test done, this is where the audiologist speaks words to you with a background noise. You are place in room and the audiologist is in another. you will hear test tones, raise your hand , you know the drill. but then you will hear background noise and you repeat words the audiologist speaks to you though the head phones. Then after that test, they will do some sort of pressure test on your ear. I really don't know what it;s called, but they put some pressure on your ear drum. ( does not hurt at all )

A normal hearing test till not find Tinnitus. So, if your going to see an independent audiolist get this masking test, you will need it if applying ot the VA. unless the VA has all this equipment on hand. Please go to a reputable Audiologist not Costco or any place like that.

[carlie]

The VA i think gives 10 percent for this, but you have hearing loss of some kind if you have Tinnitus.

I suggest you get some hearing aids if the audiologist recommends them.

The VA should give about 30 percent with hearing aids.

Tinnitus does not get better is get worse as you get older. thus you have hearing loss sooner.

Also heaing aids will help with ringing in your ears belive it or not. many audiologist know this.

SC'd Tinnitus comps. at ten percent.

Hearing aids do not necessarily mask Tinnitus in an effective manner.

SC'd Tinnitus comps at 10 percent whether you are RX'd hearing aids or not.

[COOL BREEZE]

As bad as my hearing loss is(trouble understanding the wife,tv, or conversations on the phone) they still rate me at 0%. I believe you have to be completely stone deaf(not hear anything) before they will rate above 10 %. 2 compensation exams in the last 20 years didn't change the numbers. All I got out of this is a possible 10% rating for Tinnitus which I may get some day. But that's okay. I have new digital hearing aids, free batteries for life, and I can hear my customers at work on the phone. Oh, I call also hear the wife screaming at me, unless I remove them.

[captain soggy]

As bad as my hearing loss is(trouble understanding the wife,tv, or conversations on the phone) they still rate me at 0%. I believe you have to be completely stone deaf(not hear anything) before they will rate above 10 %. 2 compensation exams in the last 20 years didn't change the numbers. All I got out of this is a possible 10% rating for Tinnitus which I may get some day. But that's okay. I have new digital hearing aids, free batteries for life, and I can hear my customers at work on the phone. Oh, I call also hear the wife screaming at me, unless I remove them.

My aids came with a " wife mute button" works great.

[COOL BREEZE]

As bad as my hearing loss is(trouble understanding the wife,tv, or conversations on the phone) they still rate me at 0%. I believe you have to be completely stone deaf(not hear anything) before they will rate above 10 %. 2 compensation exams in the last 20 years didn't change the numbers. All I got out of this is a possible 10% rating for Tinnitus which I may get some day. But that's okay. I have new digital hearing aids, free batteries for life, and I can hear my customers at work on the phone. Oh, I call also hear the wife screaming at me, unless I remove them.

My aids came with a " wife mute button" works great.

Mine does too-however I have to remove them for a cleaning which may take a while