Increased risk of chronic multisymptom illness in spouses of gulf. The committee discussed that the incidence of sleep disturbances and sleep apnea in gulf war. Gulf war syndrome or gulf war illness is a chronic and multisymptomatic disorder affecting. Medically unexplained illnesses popularly called gulf war syndrome infectious diseases. War related illness and injury study center postdeployment health services, patient care services department of veterans affairs. Gulf war syndrome definition is a syndrome of uncertain cause including fatigue, joint pain, memory loss, skin rash, and headache that has been reported in veterans of. Participants in this blinded cohort study were individuals immunized for service in desert shielddesert storm. The gulf war illness landscape congressionally directed medical.
If you served in the southwest asia theater of military operations, you may suffer from illnesses or other conditions related to service in this region. The paper is based on a recent summary of gwi research, gulf war illness and the health of gulf war veterans. Gulf war veterans medically unexplained illnesses public. Chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome are disability pattern 2, diagnosable but medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illnesses of unknown etiology. Symptoms included chronic fatigue, irritability, headaches, cognitive difficulties, sleep problems, and joint pain. Jun 28, 2019 this is a commonly used term which refers to the presence of several undiagnosed illnesses in veterans of the gulf war of 1991. Veterans from every country that made up the coalition forces have been affected. Gulf war illness and the health of gulf war veterans. Veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonorable who served in the southwest asia theater of military operations, which includes the areas specified by regulation, but not afghanistan, may be entitled to disability compensation for certain undiagnosed illnesses, certain diagnosable chronic disability patterns, and certain presumptive diseases as described below even. Gulf war syndrome is believed to be caused by exposure to biological and environmental hazards. Gulf war illness gwi is a term that refers to a group of unexplained.
Improvements needed for va to better understand, process, and communicate decisions on claims. Mar 10, 2020 gulf war syndrome gws is also known as desert storm diseases or simply gulf war illness. Gulf war syndrome or gulf war illness is a chronic and multisymptomatic disorder affecting returning military veterans of the 19901991 persian gulf war. Apr 17, 2018 gulf war syndrome is the name for the multisymptom, undiagnosed illness that many gulf war era veterans persian gulf war, operation enduring freedom, and operation iraqi freedom suffer from. Gulf war syndrome definition gulf war syndrome describes a wide spectrum of illnesses and symptoms ranging from asthma to sexual dysfunction that have been reported by u. Certain illnesses are associated with gulf war service in the southwest asia theater of military operations from august 2, 1990 to present. May 25, 2000 may 25, 2000 after more than five years of searching, researchers say they finally have physical evidence of gulf war syndrome. Therefore, the va has determined that they are conditions presumptive to service for veterans having served in the gulf war. The illness known as gulf war syndrome looks likely to have been caused by an illegal vaccine booster given by the ministry of defence to protect soldiers against biological weapons, according. Gulf war syndrome is a term used to classify a group of seemingly unrelated symptoms that many veterans experienced after serving in the gulf war. Gulf war syndrome, cluster of illnesses in veterans of the persian gulf war 199091 characterized not by any definable medical condition or diagnostic test but by variable and nonspecific symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, muscle and joint pains, headaches, memory loss, and posttraumatic stress.
Other names given to these problems included chronic multisymptom illness cmi, undiagnosed illness, gulf war illness gwi, and other terms. The va will make decisions on a casebycase basis for other illnesses with multiple symptoms that cannot be medically explained. You may qualify for va disability compensation if you have an illness linked to gulf war serviceoften called gulf war syndromein southwest. May 26, 2009 washington army news service, may 27, 2009 research completed and analyzed over the past year has narrowed the underlying causes of gulf war syndrome to three factors. Medically unexplained illnesses also commonly referred to as gulf war illness or chronic multisymptom illness are a significant concern for some veterans who served during the gulf war. Vestibular complaints of gulf war veterans were characterized by a nested casecontrol study of 23 veterans with 3 different gulf war syndromes and 20 matched control subjects. Gulf war illnesses linked to southwest asia service. This means that anyone who served on active duty from august 2. A wide range of acute and chronic symptoms have been linked to it, including fatigue, muscle pain, cognitive problems, rashes and diarrhea. Gulf war illnes s is the term most commonly used by.
Improving health care for veterans with gulf war illness ncbi. The objective of our work was to synthesize the data published on the subject in the. The mechanism that underlies gulf war syndrome remains unclear, but many factors have been associated with this syndrome such as war trauma, stress, infections, immune dysfunction, radiological factors, anthrax vaccination and so on. One set of symptoms seems to be similar to those of autism spectrum patients, including uncontrollable overreaction to minor frustration, marked irritability, and a short temper. Cdcs national center for environmental health nceh has taken the lead for hhs in addressing the health concerns of veterans of the vietnam war and the gulf war, and nceh is working with the departments of defense and veterans affairs to protect the health of our future military forces. Brain biochemical measurements in a wellstudied group of ailing. Gulf war syndrome is the name for the multisymptom, undiagnosed illness that many gulf war era veterans persian gulf war, operation enduring freedom, and operation iraqi freedom suffer from. Gulf war syndrome gws, also known as gulf war illnesses gwi and chronic multisymptom illness cmi, is a chronic and multisymptomatic disorder affecting returning military veterans and civilian workers of the 199091 gulf war. Gulf war veterans who have certain infectious diseases or, among veterans with 90 days or more of continuous active military service, als amyotrophic lateral. Researchers narrow gulf war syndrome causes article the. Jul 10, 2017 besides claims getting denied more often, veterans seeking benefits for gulf war illness are having to wait four months longer on average to hear back from the va, the gao found. With the possibility that such warrelated syndromes may affect as many as 4560% of returning soldiers, researchers have recommended that future.
Military members, and corporate biogenocide levied on the planetary population a lecture by captain joyce riley in houston, texas on january 15, 1996. Background document on gulf warrelated research for the health impact of chemical exposures during the gulf war. During or very soon after the 19901991 persian gulf war, veterans of the conflict began to report symptoms of illness. Department of defense gulf war illness research program, may 2018. Gulf war veterans medically unexplained illnesses a prominent condition affecting gulf war veterans is a cluster of medically unexplained chronic symptoms that can include fatigue, headaches, joint pain, indigestion, insomnia, dizziness, respiratory disorders, and memory problems. Va claims for gulf war illness denied 80 percent of. The department of veterans affairs va completed processing about 11,400 gulf war illness gwi claims in fiscal year 2015, which was more than double the 4,800 claims processed in fiscal year 2010.
It includes a constellation of widely divergent symptoms like. Gulf war illness gwi is a term that refers to a group of unexplained or illdefined chronic symptoms found in veterans. Although some gulf war illnesses gwi patients have unique signs and symptoms 5, most do not have some new syndrome gulf war syndrome 6. Gulf war compensation veterans benefits administration. Research findings in veterans with gulf war illness include significant differences in brain structure and function, autonomic nervous system function. Description between 1994 and 1999, 145 federally funded research studies on gulf warrelated illnesses. A number of environmental factors specific to the gulf conflict such as suspected chemical weapons, organophosphate pesticides, immunisations, pyridostigmine bromide, oil well fires, and depleted uranium have been postulated as. Symptom patterns among gulf war registry veterans ncbi. Illegal vaccine link to gulf war syndrome environment the. It is now over a decade since the persian gulf war, but over 100,000 u.
Gulf war syndrome definition of gulf war syndrome by. A research planning conference february 28 march 2, 1999 atlanta, georgia sponsored by centers for disease control and prevention in coordination with the office of public health and science department of health and human services. Thus, though gulf war veterans illnesses are real and sometimes disabling, they do not seem to constitute a unique illness. War related illness and injury study center postdeployment health services, patient care services department of veterans affairs 1 gulf war illness a guide for veteran health care providers what is gulf war illness. Iom concludes there is no single gulf war syndrome afflicting thousands. Gulf war veterans disability claim benefits ptsd lawyers. Gulf war veterans commonly display organic affective symptoms such as. Chronic multisymptom illnesses include fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and irritable bowel syndrome. Many veterans might be familiar with the term gulf war syndrome. The va recognizes that irritable bowel syndrome may have been a direct result of service on active duty during the gulf war. Volume 10 is an update of the scientific and medical literature on the health effects associated with deployment to the gulf war that were identified in volumes 4 and 8. Your gulf war syndrome and how the va rates it hill.
Besides claims getting denied more often, veterans seeking benefits for gulf war illness are having to wait four months longer on average to hear back from the va, the gao found. Jun 24, 2015 presently, this broad range of unexplained symptoms is known as gulf war syndrome. After the gulf war, new diagnostic entity was claimed. See the table below for specific presumed conditions for these groups. Gulf war syndrome an overview sciencedirect topics.
Veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonorable who served in the southwest asia theater of military operations, which includes the areas specified by regulation, but not afghanistan, may be entitled to disability compensation for certain undiagnosed illnesses, certain diagnosable chronic disability patterns. Department of veterans affairs now uses the term medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illnesses. A growing consensus is emerging from the clinical and epidemiological evidence that there is no gulf war syndromethough a rare medical condition in a small subgroup of gulf war veterans cannot be excluded conclusively. This is a commonly used term which refers to the presence of several undiagnosed illnesses in veterans of the gulf war of 1991. Brain scans show physical evidence of gulf war syndrome. Is gulf war illness the result of biological hazards in the gulf. Gulf war syndrome can be found in people who have never been to the gulf or served in the armed forces.
A wide spectrum of exposures is widely discussed in order to. The mysteries of gulf war syndrome are being unravelled, but will it plague the soldiers now returning from iraq. The gulf war syndrome remains a little know entity since its first appearance 10 years ago. All subjects completed a standardized symptom questionnaire and. Pdf after the gulf war, new diagnostic entity was claimed. Va presumes that certain diseases can be related to a veterans qualifying military service for benefit purposes. Gulf war veterans with gulf war illness and a positive test for mycoplasmal infection and their immediate family members 149 patients. The existence of gulf war syndrome is a topic of much controversy. Gulf war syndrome, or gulf war illness as it is now known, is a chronic multisymptom disorder that affects up to 20 percent of the veterans and civilians that deployed to the iraq theater. This condition includes symptoms that have been reported by u. The study therefore was a casecontrol study comparing persian gulf war military veterans with or without medically unexplained symptoms gulf war syndrome. A prominent condition affecting gulf war veterans is a cluster of medically unexplained chronic symptoms that can include fatigue, headaches, joint pain, indigestion, insomnia, dizziness, respiratory disorders, and memory problems. We sought to determine whether the presence of antibodies to squalene correlates with the presence of signs and symptoms of gws. A wide range of acute and chronic symptoms have been linked to it, including fatigue, muscle pain, cognitive problems, insomnia, rashes and diarrhea.
Many highly respected scientists initially concluded that no single disease or unique condition affected the veterans of the gulf. Gulf war veterans may be eligible for a variety of va benefits, including a gulf war registry health exam, the airborne hazards and open burn pit registry. Recent research on gulf war illness and other health. Pdf vestibular dysfunction in gulf war syndrome robert. Chronic microglial activation and excitotoxicity secondary to.
Gulf war veterans, one group of investigators proposed that there might be unique health. The lack of exposure data makes it difficult, if not impossible, to know the cause of many of the illnesses among gulf war veterans. Gulf war syndrome undiagnosed illnessmultisymptom illness menstrual disorders chronic menstrual cramping, heavy menstrual cycles that are not well managed by birth control or other prescription methods, difficulty maintaining pregnancies or getting pregnant, hormonal imbalances, unexplained weight lossgain, lack of cysts or adhesions. Gulf war syndrome chemical warfare agents wiley online. Is gulf war illness a modern manifestation of post. The 1991 persian gulf war was a resounding military success for coalition forces, who liberated kuwait following the iraqi invasion.
Of these respondents, 237 gulf war syndrome cases and 1 controls veterans who did not report medically unexplained health problems were identified by medical examination. For clinical providers caring for gulf war veteran patients. Early reports from the dod, finding no common illness or specific cause for gulf war syndrome, were criticized by veterans. This includes a presumption of qualification for disability compensation if you suffer from any of several medically unexplained illnesses popularly known as gulf war syndrome. Find out if you can get disability compensation or benefits. Background document on gulf warrelated research for. Based on the veterans responses, we classified the respondents according to definitions of chronic fatigue syndrome cfs and chronic multisymptom illness. A wide spectrum of exposures is widely discussed in order to explain the reported symptoms. Gulf war veterans with the following presumptive illnesses do not need to prove a connection between their military service in the southwest asia theater of military operations and these illnesses. The paper and its tables focus on the literature appearing since 2008, with occasional briefer summaries or tables on research published prior to. The molecular pathological basis for gws has not been established. For va benefits eligibility purposes, the gulf war period is still in effect. Initially, this constellation of disorders was referred to as gulf war syndrome.
Gulf war illness war related illness and injury veterans affairs. Medically unexplained illnesses also commonly referred to as gulf war illness or chronic multisymptom illness are a significant concern for some veterans who served during. Description since the late 1990s, researchers have been focused on finding effective treatments for military veterans with gulf war syndrome gws, a multisymptom cognitive and physical illness whose roots have still remained largely unexplained. Va disability compensation for gulf war veterans nolo. In the early years after the war, this disorder was commonly called gulf war syndrome by the media and has since been referred to by a variety of names such as undiagnosed illness, gulf war illness, chronic multisymptom illness and other terms. You may qualify for va disability compensation if you have an illness linked to gulf war serviceoften called gulf war syndromein southwest asia, including iraq, kuwait, saudi arabia. Seventy agematched healthy volunteers were recruited and used as control subjects. Gulf war syndrome biological warfare conducted on u. More than 650,000 service members served in operation desert shield and desert storm from august 2, 1990 to july 31, 1991. Gulf war syndrome is not an actual condition, just a catchall term for various symptoms. Research update and recommendations, 200920 racgwi, 2014, which our group authored. Gulf war syndrome gws is a multisystemic illness afflicting many gulf warera veterans. Diagnosis and treatment of gulf war veterans illnesses. A number of environmental factors specific to the gulf conflict such as suspected chemical weapons, organophosphate pesticides, immunisations, pyridostigmine bromide, oil well fires, and depleted uranium have been postulated as being linked to the syndrome.
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