If the VA already service-connected your tinnitus (also called ringing ears, ear ringing, buzzing in ears, ringing in my ears), it can cause or worsen other conditions that are ratable on their own. These "secondary" claims are where many veterans leave money on the table. Below is what a service-connected tinnitus commonly leads to, why, and what evidence each one takes.
Recurrent tinnitus gets a single 10% rating under DC 6260 (38 CFR 4.87), whether you hear it in one ear, both, or in your head. Because it can never go higher, the conditions tinnitus causes are often where the real value is. Each needs a diagnosis and a medical opinion linking it to your tinnitus (see the nexus letter sample and template).
A secondary claim only works if the primary condition (tinnitus) is already service-connected, and you have a nexus — a doctor's opinion that it is "at least as likely as not" the cause. Nexus letter sample and template →
Constant, uncontrollable ringing is a recognized risk factor for depression and anxiety, and studies show high rates of both among tinnitus sufferers. A separate mental health rating can far exceed the 10% cap on tinnitus itself.
What you'd need: A mental health diagnosis (DC 9434 depression / DC 9400 anxiety) and a nexus letter from a mental health provider linking the mood disorder to the chronic tinnitus.
Persistent ringing frequently disrupts falling and staying asleep. Insomnia is often folded into a secondary mental health rating rather than rated on its own, but it should be documented and claimed.
What you'd need: Documented sleep complaints in treatment notes and a nexus opinion tying the insomnia to tinnitus (or to a tinnitus-driven mood disorder).
Chronic tinnitus and the associated inner-ear/auditory dysfunction can trigger or worsen headaches in some veterans; the VA will consider this link with a supporting opinion.
What you'd need: A headache diagnosis with documented frequency and a nexus opinion connecting headaches to the service-connected tinnitus. Granted less often than the depression link.