![]() In particular, the VASRD changes regarding compensation for sleep apnea may be affected. According to the VA, the 2022 changes to the VASRD are intended to incorporate medical advancements in treatments for certain disabilities and to incorporate modern medical knowledge into its process, in order to “more accurately compensate veterans.” Compensation is based on the severity of the condition as documented by medical evidence. VASRD is the system that determines a veteran’s level of compensation for service-connected disabilities. These changes will affect the benefits awarded only to veterans whose applications are evaluated after these rules go into effect benefits for veterans currently being compensated for tinnitus will not change. In the spring of 2022, the VA updated its VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD) specifically pertaining to the respiratory, auditory, and mental disorders body systems. How Are VA Benefits Classified for Tinnitus? Age-related or trauma-related hearing loss can further increase the impact of tinnitus. In addition, tinnitus can have a delayed effect, meaning it can emerge or become problematic years after combat. Both PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI) were linked to worsening tinnitus, especially among the Marines who had a TBI because they were exposed to the concussion of explosives. Predictably, combat tended to aggravate any tinnitus they had before. In a 2019 study, researchers at the VA San Diego Healthcare System assessed the hearing of 2,600 Marines before and after they were deployed into combat. Veterans who have been deployed are regularly exposed to the risk factors most closely associated with tinnitus-loud sounds and head injuries. About a third of all people with tinnitus also have hyperacusis, which is hypersensitivity to noise. According to In a 2021 study of nearly 900 veterans with tinnitus, people with moderate to severe cases were more likely to have post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, or anxiety. Sleep apnea is closely associated with tinnitus. For some veterans, tinnitus doesn’t greatly affect quality of life, but for others, it can cause sleep interruptions and/or disruptions to concentration, as well as trigger negative emotions. Tinnitus is also a growing problem among active-duty service members, according to a 2019 study. Veterans who have seen combat or worked in certain fields, such as aeronautics, are at special risk. Tinnitus is the number-one disability that afflicts veterans returning from conflict, according to hearing loss and disorder specialists. How Does Tinnitus Affect Veterans in Particular? The AARP points to intriguing new research that has found changes in the brain associated with tinnitus: hearing damage may cause random neurons to fire erratically and create “noise.” Unfortunately, a single cure for tinnitus has not been developed, so solving the problem often means working with a medical provider through a process of trial and error. Tinnitus is linked to conditions that may trigger or worsen the problem, including longtime exposure to excessive noise and a variety of drugs that harm the ear. There is no clear medical consensus about what triggers episodes of tinnitus, but medical experts agree that these episodes signal that something has gone wrong with the auditory system. The condition can be maddening and sometimes debilitating. An estimated 14 to 16 million people seek medical help for tinnitus. Tinnitus is often the first sign of hearing loss, and some 50 million Americans have experienced it. For others, tinnitus can sound like screeching or pulsing it can come and go, or remain constant. What Is Tinnitus?Īccording to the AARP, the most common symptom of tinnitus is constant ringing, buzzing, or clicking in one’s ears. Read on to learn more about the VA’s new guidance regarding tinnitus, and how Georgia VA Disability lawyers can help you pursue and secure your benefits. Affleck & Gordon attorneys work to assist veterans to learn how VA disability classifications affect their benefits and to ensure that individuals secure the maximum benefit for which they are eligible. The Georgia VA Disability lawyers at Affleck & Gordon know these new rules and aim to help Georgians understand them. Therefore, the reclassification of tinnitus is likely to have ramifications for many disabled veterans. The VA update seeks to compensate veterans for associated health conditions and may diminish the benefits received for tinnitus alone. Tinnitus can be a debilitating condition on its own, but it is also often related to several other qualifying disabilities that qualify for VA coverage. ![]() If you or a family member is affected by tinnitus and receives benefits from the VA, you may wonder what this change means for you. Recently the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has changed the way it classifies tinnitus for compensation.
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