tinnitus Need Help On Tinnitus Info

[OnRiver]

Does anyone know where the va has information on how they qualify tintinitus? does the ringing have to be consistent are can it be on a weekly or intermitent basis. I really need how they judge whether one has it and other complications. Also does it matter if you didnot receive a seperation examination or not...I didn't as it was from Vietnam home in 69. Thanks

[Patrick428]

For the purposes of a rating for tinnitis, the problem must be consistent and ongoing. Intermittent tinnitis will usually yield nothing fromt he VA. There is no particular test for tinnitis, but the VA has a short questionnaire about problems with ringing in your ears, and where you feel the cause of it came from. Most of the questions relate to yoru military experience, but there are a few questions about post military noise levels that you may have experienced. I have tinnitis, and when I was rated the maximum rating a veteran could get at that time was 10%. Now there is a bilateral rating and I believe you can get 20% as a result.

Patrick

[Pete53]

Does anyone know where the va has information on how they qualify tintinitus? does the ringing have to be consistent are can it be on a weekly or intermitent basis. I really need how they judge whether one has it and other complications. Also does it matter if you didnot receive a seperation examination or not...I didn't as it was from Vietnam home in 69. Thanks

I have it and it is difficult to get a straight answer from VA. I could not get a C&P and was turned down. Since I am 100% I just let it go. They did give me a hearing aid for it or loss of hearing where I have it.

[RockyA1911]

When I had my C&P for tinnitus in June of 06 it consisted of just an interview in the VAMC Audiology Dept. It took less than 5 minutes. I explained that prior to and during and after Vietnam until I was discharged from the Marines in Nov 1976 we did not have nor use earplugs except at the rifle range we had pieces of cotton during annual qualification. I also mentioned all the Rocket, Mortar, Artillery, and bomb explosions along with very loud and close small arms fire from '68 to '69. He asked if I worked in noisy environments in civilian life after the Marines and I told him I worked in administration, etc and did not hunt or fire guns.

I told him I've had high pitched ringing in varing degrees and crickets chirping and other high pitched frequencies, and the ocean etc since during Vietnam.

That was it. I got the C&P report copy and it said Chronic Tinnitus more probable than not the onset was caused due to military noise exposure.

My Claim is still in a Ready to Rate Status, but I have not gotten anything yet but I hope to soon.

[Guest terrysturgis]

ON River, I seperated out of Viet Nam April of 1970 and I do not remember an exit physical. I filed a claim for Tinnitus and hearing loss. At my C&P the examiner showed me a copy of my exit exam showing hearing loss. I was artillery. I do not rememmber at all the exit exam but there it was. I hope they have yours as it made my claim easier to Service Connect. Good Luck. Terry Sturgis

[RockyA1911]

Beg to differ. There is NO hearing test or ANY OTHER type of test that will prove tinnitus. It is not in the ear but inside the head. What you had 1968 VV is a HEARING test to show the level of hearing loss and hearing loss is where you cannot hear high pitched sounds, not tinnitus. There is not now or has there ever been any type of test for tinnitus., hearing loss yes, but not tinnitus. It does not show up on any kind of test for hearing loss either. Don't be cornfused between hearing loss and tinnitus. I have four Marine buddies too that all had the C&P for tinnitus, and two C&P for hearing loss.......none of them including me had any kind of test for the tinnitus.....just an interview by an audio C&P examiner. I'm sure there are others on here that have S/C tinnitus and none of them had a test of any kind. It is your word, where you were, and what you were exposed to and that is it. If the records and DD-214 show you were in combat in Vietnam, then they have to take your word....simple as that.

[vaf]

Actually, it's not that simple for every 'Nam vet. The VA doesn't have to take the vet's word for it, despite what's documented on the DD 214. At least not our VARO. My husband was there from '70 to '71, air traffic controller with headsets plugged into the ears most of the time, engine noise, etc., not to mention mortar fire and everything else. He was granted hearing loss service connected at 0%, didn't file a separate claim for tinnitus until five years after he retired (he, too, thought hearing loss was the same as tinnitus). The first tinnitus claim was turned down, and we filed an NOD. I've mentioned it here before, we ended up reviewing his SMR's for hearing tests, bar charted the scores for each ear, and resubmitted. He was then granted service connection, effective the date he first filed for tinnitus. We're currently trying to get an earlier effective date for the tinnitus, since we have proof he complained about ringing in his hears during his first audiology exam after retirement. He didn't use the magic word, "tinnitus," however, since he didn't know what it was.