Essential Facts About VA Disability for Hearing Loss

Wondering about VA disability for hearing loss? You’re not alone. Over 2.7 million veterans get disability benefits for either tinnitus or hearing loss, and there could be even more veterans who experience hearing loss but don’t receive disability benefits for it.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, veterans are about 30 percent more likely to have severe hearing loss or impairment than non-veterans. And this hearing impairment can dramatically affect your quality of life.

That’s why it’s crucial for veterans with hearing problems to get a diagnosis and treatment from a doctor or healthcare professional. We will discuss everything you need to know about typical VA compensation for hearing loss, tinnitus military symptoms, and more throughout this guide

Hearing loss is a fairly common issue for older adults in the United States. Approximately one-third of all U.S. adults aged 65 to 75 have some form of hearing loss, whether it’s mild, moderate, or severe. For adults aged over 75, the statistic jumps to 50 percent. However, hearing loss and impairments are even more prevalent for veterans and those in the military.

Hearing loss due to military service is divided into three different categories:

• Conductive hearing loss
• Sensorineural hearing loss
• Mixed hearing loss

Conductive hearing loss involves the middle and outer ear, while sensorineural hearing loss involves the inner ear. True to its name, mixed hearing loss is a combination of both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. No matter what kind of hearing loss you’re experiencing, the symptoms are fairly consistent across the board. Watch out for things like:

• Trouble hearing and understanding words, especially in a crowd or against background noises
• The muffling of people’s speech and other sounds
• Difficulty hearing and understanding consonants
• The need to increase the volume on the radio or the television
• Avoidance of or anxiety in social settings due to noise
• Withdrawal from conversations due to difficulty hearing or understanding
• Constantly asking other people to speak more loudly, clearly, or slowly

So how exactly do you get hearing loss or impairment? Hearing loss or impairment can have a number of causes, and in many cases, identifying the origin can help you figure out how severe the damage is. Here are some of the most common causes of hearing loss:

• Damage to the inner ear. Your hearing loss might be caused by exposure to loud noise over time, leading to gradual deterioration of the nerve cells in the ear that send sound signals to your brain. Hearing loss can happen when the nerve cells in your ear are damaged.
• The gradual buildup of earwax. Another common cause of hearing loss is the gradual buildup of earwax. When earwax blocks your ear canal, it can prevent the conduction of sound waves and lead to temporary hearing loss. However, once the earwax is removed, the problem usually resolves itself, and your hearing is restored.
• An ear infection or abnormal bone growths and tumors. Ear infections and abnormal bone growths or tumors in the outer or middle ear can also cause hearing loss.
• A ruptured eardrum or tympanic membrane perforation. A ruptured eardrum is caused by poking the eardrum with an object, any sudden changes in pressure, and loud blasts of noise. Once your eardrum is ruptured, your hearing can be dramatically affected.

Showing that you are currently diagnosed with a qualifying hearing loss condition is the first step to receiving VA disability benefits. The VA tends to be very strict, requiring veterans to take a hearing exam by a licensed audiologist rather than a regular doctor. The audiologist is required to administer two different hearing loss tests for the VA to accept your veteran’s disability hearing loss diagnosis:

• Maryland CNC Test. The Maryland CNC Test measures military hearing loss in veterans via a 50-word test. This test scores the level at which you recognize speech. The VA then uses the Maryland CNC Test results to determine whether your hearing loss condition qualifies for disability benefits. They also use the test to establish how severe your hearing loss condition is.
• Puretone Audiometric Test. The Puretone Audiometric Test measures the faintest tones and is meant to calculate your general hearing loss level. Typically, you’ll wear headphones for this test and raise your hand to signal each time you hear a noise.

The VA requires these particular tests to determine your diagnosis and eligibility for  VA benefits. If you have a diagnosis from your regular doctor, it won’t count towards your veteran’s hearing loss claims.

There are a number of ear-related issues a veteran might have to cause them to file a VA medical claim besides hearing loss or tinnitus. These ear disabilities include the loss of one or both of your ears, perforated eardrums, inner ear problems causing dizziness, cancer in the ear, Meniere’s syndrome, peripheral vestibular disorder, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), chronic nonsuppurative otitis media, chronic suppurative otitis media, and chronic otitis externa.

Here are some ear-related conditions and the VA disability ratings for each:

• Chronic suppurative otitis media, mastoiditis, cholesteatoma, or any combination of the three. The VA disability rating for these conditions is 10 percent.
• Chronic nonsuppurative otitis media with effusion (sereous otitis media). The VA disability rating for this condition depends on the amount of hearing loss related to the condition.
• Otosclerosis. The VA disability rating for this condition depends on the amount of hearing loss related to the condition.
• Peripheral vestibular disorders. The VA disability rating depends on the severity of the condition. For example, the rating is 10 percent if the condition only leads to occasional dizziness. The rating is 30 percent if the ear condition leads to both staggering and dizziness. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, a VA disability claim for this condition can’t be assigned until a healthcare professional has delivered objective findings supporting the diagnosis. The official site also states that suppuration and hearing impairment should be separately rated and combined for the official VA disability rating.
• Meniere’s syndrome (endolymphatic hydrops). The VA disability rating depends on the severity of this condition. For example, the rating is 100 percent if you have hearing impairment problems more than once per week, including vertigo and cerebellar gait attacks. The rating is 60 percent if you have hearing loss with vertigo and cerebellar gait attacks between one and four times a month. The rating is 30 percent if you have hearing impairment with vertigo less than once a month. All of these ratings apply whether you have tinnitus or not.
• Loss of auricle (ear). The VA disability rating depends on the severity of the condition. The rating is 50 percent for the loss of both ears, 30 percent for the loss of one ear, and 10 percent for partial loss or deformity, depending on the circumstances.
• Malignant neoplasm. The VA disability rating is 100 percent, but the VA might require an exam to revisit the disability rating six months after the end of treatment.
• Benign neoplasms of the ear. The rating depends on the loss of function.
• Chronic otitis externa. The rating depends on the condition. For example, the rating is 10 percent if you have scaly or dry skin, serious discharge, swelling, and other symptoms that require prolonged or frequent treatment.
• Tympanic membrane perforation (perforated ear). The rating is 0 percent for perforated ears.
• Recurrent tinnitus. The rating for tinnitus is 10 percent, whether the ringing is present in only one ear or both.

Below are monthly payment estimates for typical VA compensation for hearing loss VA compensation rates:

• 10 to 20 percent. Approximately  $144 for 10 percent and $285 for 20 percent, whether you have a dependent or not.
• 30 to 60 percent. Approximately $441 for 30 percent, $636 for 40 percent, $905 for 50 percent, and $1,146 for 60 percent if you have no dependents. The payments increase for those with dependents.
• 70 to 100 percent. Approximately $1,445 for 70 percent, $1,679 for 80 percent, $1,887 for 90 percent, and $3,146 for 100 percent if you have no dependents. The payments increase for those with dependents.

Want to learn more about VA hearing loss? Contact EarPros to learn more about our services and assistance with hearing loss VA disability. We also have hearing aid reviews to help you choose which hearing aid device is right for you.