Larry if you find out anything let me know. I have this constant ringing in my ears. Sometime it is wore than other times. I talked to a VA rep. but you have to get to their office at a certain time oryou can't get in as there is a lot of people their. I just hate to deal with the VA as they are so hard to deal with.
Frank

I don't know if you've had an answer to your question, but I claimed for hearing loss and tinnitus (the ringing in your ears) a year ago. I had my hearing aids four months after I submitted my claim. I would note here that I had a lot of the stuff the VA wanted (a copy of my medical records being the most important) that I could give the VA with my claim. This allowed the VA to work the claim before they actually got the official copy of my records and that may have reduced the time it took for my claim.

I would suggest that, if you haven't already, you contact a VSO (Veteran's Service Officer) for some assistance. The VSO can help you get through the process, but more importantly, he can give you a list of the things you will need to provide. By going to the VSO you can avoid a lot of the waiting around at the VA and shuttling from one place to another. The first time I set foot in the VAMC at Boise I had an appointment. Makes a world of difference.

I never went to the VA until after I had made my claim and I had to go in for a hearing examination.

I had to submit a hearing exam by a civilian doctor with my claim and the VA did an examination to confirm what the cvilian doctor found.

You had a hearing exam when you entered the Navy and you had one when you left. Possibly you had others while you were in. They are (or should be) included in your medical records, which the VA will obtain when you make your claim.

You will be asked to include the following (and this is probably not a complete list) with your claim:

1. A list of your duty stations while in the Navy. They will want to know what you experienced at these stations that could have affected your hearing or caused your tinnitus.

2. A list of what you have done since you left the Navy that could have affected your hearing or caused the tinnitus (this means what have you done for recreation and/or for work).

3. A copy of your DD 214 - most important.

These are probably the most important of what you will be asked for - there is more but I don't remember it.

MAKE COPIES OF EVERYTHING YOU SEND TO THE VA. Most important that you do this.

EdW

Larry,

If you have copies of the hearing test results wherein they told "There is something wrong with your hearing", that should shorten the process by quite a bit. Submit copies of that with other required forms,etc. They can't argue with USN official papers.

Shep