Gulf War Syndrome

8 Stories

Study Brings New Hope for Treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

As well as Gulf War Illness

(Newser) - More than a quarter of the nearly 700,000 US veterans who served in the Persian Gulf War in the early 1990s have been diagnosed with Gulf War Illness. And up to 2.5 million Americans are believed to be affected by chronic fatigue syndrome. Despite symptoms ranging from pain...

New Gulf War Syndrome Discovery Is 'Huge'
New Gulf War Syndrome Discovery Is 'Huge'
say researchers
Mar 21, 2013 11:40 AM CDT

New Gulf War Syndrome Discovery Is 'Huge'

Findings will allow doctors to quickly arrive at a diagnosis

(Newser) - Scientists now know that Gulf War Syndrome is more than just a psychological condition—it's actually tied to brain damage . But for the first time, they have zeroed in on physical proof that this is the case. The Georgetown researchers used fMRI machines on 31 Gulf War vets and...

Wind Carried Sarin Gas to Gulf War Troops

Controversial paper cites bombing of Iraqi chemical weapons depots

(Newser) - A controversial new paper may shed light on Gulf War syndrome, a collection of symptoms seen in veterans of the 1991 conflict: Chemical weapons could be to blame. The researchers assert that when US troops bombed chemical weapons depots in Iraq, the neurotoxin sarin was sent into the atmosphere then...

Gulf War Syndrome Vets Have Brain Damage: Study

Abnormalities turn up on scans, likely caused by nerve gas

(Newser) - Gulf War Syndrome vets have notable brain abnormalities likely triggered by nerve gas, researchers have discovered. The finding flies in the face of years of Defense Department pronouncements that the syndrome—characterized by pain, lack of concentration and memory loss—is psychological, and linked to combat stress. But vets suffering...

Toxic Dust May Explain Troops' Health Problems

Navy researcher says particles loaded with metals and bacteria

(Newser) - A Navy researcher thinks he's found the "smoking gun" to explain why so many service members come back from Iraq and Afghanistan with health problems ranging from respiratory ailments to cancer to heart disease: It's all that dust they're breathing, reports USA Today . It's far...

Gulf War Illness Is Real: Study
 Gulf War Illness Is Real: Study 
Nov 17, 2008 3:55 PM CST

Gulf War Illness Is Real: Study

Research contradicts previous government denials

(Newser) - Gulf War syndrome is real, and "few veterans have recovered or substantially improved with time," according to a scientific study commissioned by Congress. Nearly a quarter of the 700,000 troops who served in the first Gulf War suffer from neurological problems related to exposure to chemicals during...

Pentagon Delayed Brain Scans for Returning Troops

Brass feared troops would blame health woes on TBI

(Newser) - Seeking to duck controversy, the Pentagon did not screen returning US troops for brain injuries for more than 2 years. Top brass feared that soldiers would blame minor health woes on brain trauma—which could spark another Gulf War Syndrome, Air Force Col. Kenneth Cox told USA Today. But one...

Gulf Illness Blamed on Chemicals
Gulf Illness Blamed on Chemicals
Mar 11, 2008 9:05 AM CDT

Gulf Illness Blamed on Chemicals

Pesticides and nerve agents cause syndrome, says researcher

(Newser) - Exposure to chemicals and pesticides during the first Gulf War is the likely cause of widespread illnesses suffered by its veterans, a new study concludes. Some 250,000 veterans of the conflict—a third of the troops who served— suffer fatigue, muscle and joint pain, memory lapses, intestinal problems, and...

8 Stories