Noise Exposure, Hearing Loss & Tinnitus
Noise (acoustic trauma) is the single most-claimed exposure in the Board record, 24,844 published decisions name it, and it maps to the two most-claimed VA conditions of all: tinnitus and hearing loss. Both are granted at high rates. Here is what the Board record shows.
How these claims are won and lost
The single biggest factor in the Board record is a private medical opinion (a nexus letter) linking the condition to the exposure. Here is the grant rate with one vs with no medical opinion, from published decisions on noise and acoustic trauma:
Percentages reflect the mix of published cases, not a promise for any one claim. The lesson the record repeats: prove the exposure, then get a reasoned medical opinion connecting it to the diagnosis.
Your military job predicts your noise exposure
The strongest evidence for a noise claim is often the job itself. VA associates a documented noise level with hundreds of military occupations, and a "Highly Probable" rating means VA effectively concedes the exposure, no separate proof needed.
Beyond hearing: the secondary tail
A smaller set of conditions the Board has tied to noise or claimed secondary to tinnitus. Grant rate reflects case mix.
| Condition | Issues | Granted | Denied | Grant % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peripheral vestibular disorders DC 6204 | 29 | 21 | 8 | 72% |
| Meniere's syndrome (endolymphatic hydrops) DC 6205 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 73% |
| Migraine DC 8100 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 45% |
Read the Board decisions on acoustic trauma ↗
Common questions
Do I need a hearing test from during service to win?
Not necessarily. The Board often grants tinnitus and hearing loss on a veteran's own credible account of noise exposure plus a current diagnosis, especially when the military job involved hazardous noise. A nexus opinion linking the current hearing loss to service strengthens it.
My job was noisy but I have no proof, does that matter?
Your military job (MOS) itself is evidence. The MOS Noise Exposure Lookup shows the noise level VA associates with hundreds of jobs; a "Highly Probable" rating means VA effectively concedes the exposure.
Can noise cause anything besides hearing loss and tinnitus?
The main two are hearing loss and tinnitus. Beyond those, the Board has connected a smaller number of balance and vestibular conditions, and migraines are sometimes claimed secondary to tinnitus. Those are the rows in the secondary table above.
Related Tools and Guides
RateMyVSO. Educational aggregate of published Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions plus public-domain toxicology (ATSDR). Not affiliated with the VA. Not legal or medical advice. Whether any exposure caused any condition in a specific case is a medical and legal question, a VSO representative can help.