tinnitus Hearing Loss And Tinnitus Claim.

[Gomatic]

2 questions.

1, My MOS is obsolete, will the VA use a modern equivalent based on my job title. I was a 63Y 10 tracked vehicle mechanic.

2. The Army did not do a hearinfg exam on my exit physical, will this give me a problem?

Thanks

[Gomatic]

28 years is a lot of time the VA could use against you. JMO..I think you would be better off claiming an increase for your back issues, or even secondary claims such as;..Hip, knees, right foot issues due to your lower back. When were you granted these 2 claims? If the 2 exams for hearing were sever enough like donna said to grant an award, then go ahead and give it a try.

Coot

I was just rated for the Ankle and back. My VSO sent a NOD on the hearing and tinnitus.

Gomatic

[georgiapapa]

Gomatic,

I did not think I had a snowball's chance in %#*$ of succeeding in a claim for hearing loss and tinnitus until I found the hadit web site. At the time I filed my claim It had been over 40 years since I was discharged from the Marine Corps and I had worked in civilian law enforcement for almost 30 years after my discharge. I passed a hearing exam to enlist in the Marine Corps and according to the Marine Corps I passed a hearing exam just prior to my discharge. I have had a bilateral high frequency hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus since I was in the Marine Corps due to the exposure of firing 105 mm howitzers in Vietnam without hearing protection.

After doing some research and gathering input from some knowledgeable people on the hadit web site, I assembled my evidence and filed my claim using the advice and guidance I received. My MOS was not a problem since I was a field artillery batteryman. My biggest problem was the time that had passed since my discharge. Also, I figured the VA would attribute my hearing loss and tinnitus to my exposure to firearms while employed as a law enforcement officer after my military discharge.

I did have a hearing exam by a civilian audiologist in 1978, eight years after my discharge. The 1978 exam indicated I had a bilateral noise induced high frequency hearing loss and tinnitus. The 1978 exam also noted my exposure to artillery in the military. Fortunately I found the same audiologist (now a doctor of audiology) still practicing and had her conduct a new hearing exam on me in 2010. I provided her with my copy of the 1978 exam results. I advised her that I had never fired my weapon in the line of duty while employed as a civilian law enforcement officer and only fired small arms weapons twice a year for firearms qualification. I asked her to provide me with an IMO and I provided her with an example of what is needed in the IMO. She provided the IMO which proved to be the difference in my claim being successful. In the IMO, my audiologist stated my hearing loss and tinnitus were "as likely as not" caused by my exposure to the firing of artillery weapons during my service in the Marine Corps.

My military records indicated I had a whisper hearing test just prior to my discharge and the test indicated my hearing was within normal limits. However, during my research I discovered the VA does not recognize the whisper test as a reliable indicator of whether or not an individual has a high frequency hearing loss. According to my VA C&P exam for hearing loss, the audiologist stated it was as likely as not that my tinnitus was caused by my military service. However, the same audiologist stated she was unable to determine the etiology of my hearing loss without speculating. Fortunately the VA deciding official gave me the benefit of the doubt and agreed with the IMO from my private Doctor of Audiology and granted me 10% for hearing loss and 10% for tinnitus. The hearing exam results from the VA's audiologist was almost identical to the hearing exam results from my private audiologist.

As part of my evidence for my claim, I also submitted a statement in support of claim from my wife verifying the hearing loss and tinnitus since I was in the Marine Corps and I submitted photos of myself in Vietnam firing the howitzers without wearing hearing protection. I also provided my own statement in support of claim explaining my limited exposure to the firing of weapons (twice a year during qualifications) while employed as a civilian law enforcement officer.

I have an audiology consult scheduled for March 12th so I can get hearing aids from the VA. This is something else I did not know I was entitled to until Carlie and others on the hadit web site made me aware of it.

I wish you luck on your hearing loss claim.

Georgiapapa...

[boomer2]

Gomatic

Based on your response to Cooter, you have had a C & P for hearing loss and have been denied. Can you post what your results were if you have them. Your test would have consisted of you hearing different sounds at 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 hertz. There may have been more but, these are the important ones. If you have the test results can you post the

results of these four frequencies. Also, they should have had you listen to some one or two syllable words and those results should be a percentage number like 85%. Can you post those as well?

[Gomatic]

Gomatic

Based on your response to Cooter, you have had a C & P for hearing loss and have been denied. Can you post what your results were if you have them. Your test would have consisted of you hearing different sounds at 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 hertz. There may have been more but, these are the important ones. If you have the test results can you post the

results of these four frequencies. Also, they should have had you listen to some one or two syllable words and those results should be a percentage number like 85%. Can you post those as well?

Left 500 25 db 1000 30 db 2000 40 db 3000 40 db 4000 45 db 100% descrimination

Right 500 25db 1000 25db 2000 35db 3000 40db 4000 35 db 100% descrimination

They denied the hearing loss and tinnitus because in thier it opinnion it was not service connected because there was no mention of it in my military records. The Army didn't even do a hearinfg exam on my exit physical.

[deanbrt]

I was in a field artillery battery in the early 70s and have had tinnitus since then. When i was awarded 50% they denied my tinnitus claim. I let it go but was and am unhappy about it. They said I had a hearing test when I was discharged. Not so. I was given a C&P exam but it was for hearing loss. Tinnitus occurs when the DBs are elevated and the ringing starts, as in my case.

[john999]

If a person can fire or even work near 105 and/or 155's without hearing protection and not suffer hearing loss they are superman.