Hearing Loss appeal?

[Ranmic]

I was recently rated 10% disability for Tinnitus and 0% for hearing loss. Would it be worth it to try and push for hearing loss also or is it a lost cause?  My Tinnitus totally sucks with constant ringing 24/7 365 but my hearing is definitely affected by this too and the audiologist made that statement after my hearing test.  For some reason I am not able to view my hearing test results on the VA site and the audiologist said the VA would share them with me but so far they have not.

I'll be reaching out to them more for a copy of the results but what I really want to know is it even worth pushing for hearing loss if the VA has already put me a 0%?

 

Thank you in advance.

[GeekySquid]

to get anything above 0% SC on HL your puretone and Maryland CNC scores have to really be "bad".

2 hours ago, Ranmic said:

my hearing is definitely affected by this too

as someone with Cathedral Bells going off 24/7 I sympathize with you but the rating structure on hearing doesn't seem to have a modifier for Tinnitus but I would have to go back over it again to verify that.

 

2 hours ago, Ranmic said:

audiologist made that statement after my hearing test

if this is in writing it might have some impact but the HL standard is pretty set in stone.

2 hours ago, Ranmic said:

I am not able to view my hearing test results on the VA site and the audiologist said the VA would share them with me but so far they have not.

If after a couple weeks post-exam the results are not in Blue Button, assuming this was done at the VA and not an outside contractor, then go to the Records Office in your VAMC, fill out the form and they will print them for you.

 

2 hours ago, Ranmic said:

is it even worth pushing for hearing loss if the VA has already put me a 0%?

Again that depends on your Puretone results and Maryland CNC results. They use multiple tables based on the readings in each ear, combine them and that gives a result. So without that data we really can't offer any solid opinions based on facts.

I will say that if you are deaf as a post and can afford and IMO/IME then that might help you in an appeal.

[Ranmic]

1 hour ago, GeekySquid said:

to get anything above 0% SC on HL your puretone and Maryland CNC scores have to really be "bad".

as someone with Cathedral Bells going off 24/7 I sympathize with you but the rating structure on hearing doesn't seem to have a modifier for Tinnitus but I would have to go back over it again to verify that.

 

if this is in writing it might have some impact but the HL standard is pretty set in stone.

If after a couple weeks post-exam the results are not in Blue Button, assuming this was done at the VA and not an outside contractor, then go to the Records Office in your VAMC, fill out the form and they will print them for you.

 

Again that depends on your Puretone results and Maryland CNC results. They use multiple tables based on the readings in each ear, combine them and that gives a result. So without that data we really can't offer any solid opinions based on facts.

I will say that if you are deaf as a post and can afford and IMO/IME then that might help you in an appeal.

Thank you very much!  I can honestly say that I am not "deaf as a post".....LOL, but it does have some affect on me.  I don't think my hearing is bad enough to warrant being that bad and I'm actually happy about that.  I just wish there was a turn off button for this damn ringing.  

Thank you again for your comments.

[GBArmy]

As Geeky said, it is pretty hard to get a 10% rating. It's the VA ball and they make the rules. I have a 10% rating and I swear I can't hardly hear anything. You are aware that even with 0% for hearing, you get hearing aides as a S-C disability at no cost to you? My tinnitus isn't that hard so I usually can weather it out, but the VA is supposed to have some pretty awesome hearing aides that help to subdue the roaring in your head; you may want to check it out. And this is just my opinion, but from what I have seen, they are more apt to be lenient on this issue if you show it really bothers you and you go for extra assistance and later go for a re-eval. JMO, and I'm not saying it will happen to you but I've seen it. Veterans sometimes get a break going back after a few year. I mean, if your hearing isn't bad enough to get you comp every month but it is bad enough that hearing aides help you, not much of a leap to say you pretty close on the hearing table.

[GeekySquid]

9 hours ago, Ranmic said:

I just wish there was a turn off button for this damn ringing.  

My hearing aid from the VA has little impact on my ability to hear, BUT when in and on, even at the lowest setting, it pushes my tinnitus way back into the background. I still don't hear much out of the ear but the damn ringing is far in the distance and faint.

I just did another VNG,,,,long story posted elsewhere here.

The Seattle Dizzy Board, i kid you not that is it's name, ordered it. All my ear-parts (lol) actually function as they are supposed to but I still have Vertigo, Hearing Loss and Tinnitus.

According to them, that is actually typical in veterans with PTSD who also have HL, Tinnitus and Vertigo. According to them it is no clinically Meniere's but one of a dozen other types of Vertigo and of course they want to test me for all of them.

I however am putting in for Meniere's since none of the others include my drunken gait and grant 100% on their own LOL. I want to be at 260% just to dig it into them.

[Ranmic]

Thank you all for your feedback, I'm trying to avoid hearing aids but I swear if I can get some relief from this ringing then maybe it's worth a shot.  I honestly cant remember what it's like to not hear constant ringing in my head.  I have actually gotten pretty good with living with it and trying to tune it out but the bad part is I turn out everything else too.....like my wife (well, maybe that part isn't so bad......hahaha).

 

again, thank you all for your feed back.

[GeekySquid]

1 hour ago, Ranmic said:

I'm trying to avoid hearing aids

vanity versus sanity