Table of Contents
What is Gulf War Syndrome caused by?
What are the possible causes of Gulf War syndrome? Possible causes include: Chemical warfare agents, particularly nerve gas, or pyridostigmine bromide, which was given as a preventive measure to soldiers likely to be exposed to chemical warfare agents. Psychological factors, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
Can Gulf War illness be cured?
But as veterans returned home from the Gulf War in 1991, as many as one-third of them—approximately 250,000—developed symptoms of Gulf War illness. There was no known cure, just lives filled with bouts of pain and exhaustion so extreme that some veterans spent those days in bed.
Is Gulf War syndrome hereditary?
The findings show that HLA affects neural synchrony and predicts symptom types, and they indicate that Gulf War illness is caused by the interactions of genetics and exposures.
Who qualifies as a Gulf War veteran?
For VA benefits eligibility purposes, the Gulf War period is still in effect, meaning that anyone who served on active duty from August 2, 1990 to present is considered a Gulf War Veteran.
Are Gulf War Veterans considered combat Veterans?
Combat Service. Veterans who served in combat during a period of war after the Gulf War, or against a hostile force during a period of hostilities after November 11, 1998, qualify, and are eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for 2 years after discharge from the military for any illness.
What benefits do Gulf War Veterans have?
Gulf War Veterans may be eligible for a wide-variety of benefits available to all U.S. military Veterans. VA benefits include disability compensation, pension, education and training, health care, home loans, insurance, vocational rehabilitation and employment, and burial.
How can I prove my sleep apnea is service connected?
Veterans can also prove service connection for sleep apnea by showing that their sleep apnea began in service using service medical records, or by providing a nexus opinion from a medical professional that links their current diagnosis of sleep apnea to signs or symptoms they experienced in service.
What is the average VA rating for insomnia?
Therefore, the disability will be rated by analogy to mental health disorders. 38 C.F.R. § 4.20 (2013). In an October 2012 rating decision, the RO granted an increased disability rating of 10 percent for insomnia, effective July 9, 2012.
Does the VA acknowledge Gulf War Syndrome?
Disability compensation for Veterans VA has recognized medically unexplained illnesses (popularly called “Gulf War Syndrome”) and certain infectious diseases as associated with military service in the Southwest Asia theater of military operations.
When did the VA recognize Gulf War Syndrome?
In 1994, lawmakers passed legislation to allow VA to pay benefits to Gulf War veterans for service-related disabilities caused by undiagnosed illnesses, such as fatigue, muscle and joint pain, headaches, menstrual disorders, skin conditions, respiratory disorders, and neurological and psychological disorders.
How old is the average Gulf War veterans?
More than half of Gulf War veterans are aged 45 and older (16% are between 55 and 85 years; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2011) and 8% of people deployed in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars were born before 1960 (Dursa, Reinhard, Barth, & Schneiderman, 2014).
How does Gulf war syndrome affect the brain?
In veterans diagnosed with Gulf War Illness, we measured higher levels of a molecule called translocator protein that increases when neuroinflammation is present and found it in many parts of the brain, including those involved in complex brain functions, such as memory and reasoning.
How old is the average Gulf War veteran?
Why does the VA deny sleep apnea?
The Department denies these claims because they do not have sufficient evidence to conclusively say that a Veteran is suffering from sleep apnea without a diagnosis, even if the Veteran exhibits the symptoms of the disorder.
Why is Gulf War syndrome hard to diagnose?
chronic fatigue syndrome irritable bowel syndrome and certain infectious diseases after service. These hard-to-diagnose conditions and diseases because so frequent and numerous in these veterans that the VA developed a presumptive basis for the various symptomatology that became to be known as Gulf War Syndrome.
What are the symptoms of Gulf War syndrome?
– Fatigue – Depression – Nightmares – Headaches – Anxiety – Skin rashes – Difficulty concentrating – Flashbacks
How to deal with Gulf War syndrome?
You must have been deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield and/or Operation Desert Storm between 1990-1991.
What are the best treatments for Gulf War Syndrome/ illness?
Iraq,Kuwait,Saudi Arabia