Gulf War syndrome

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Gulf War syndrome

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | 2008 | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright 2008 Columbia University Press. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Gulf War syndrome popular name for a variety of ailments experienced by veterans after the Persian Gulf War . Symptoms reported include nausea, cramps, rashes, short-term memory loss, fatigue, difficulty in breathing, headaches, joint and muscle pain, and birth defects. Ailments have been reported by American, Canadian, Australian, and British veterans alike; in some cases spouses of veterans have reported similar symptoms.

The mysterious syndrome has sparked debate between veteran's groups, congressional investigators, and the military over questions of accountability, treatment, and compensation. Hypothesized causes have included parasites, biological and chemical warfare agents, prophylactic vaccines and medications given against biological and chemical warfare agents, fumes from oil well fires, and stress. In 1994 an advisory panel organized by the National Institutes of Health reported that the syndrome represented many illnesses and many causes; they deemed biological and chemical warfare agents unlikely as causes. Causes for the illnesses in many subsets of patients have been identified, e.g., some 30 veterans had leishmaniasis , a parasitic disease spread by sand flies, but in many instances the cause has not been identified.

In 1999 researchers said that brain scans of some sick veterans revealed signs of damage caused by exposure to toxic chemicals, and a study in 2004 suggested that some veterans may have been sensitive enough to otherwise low levels of poison gases to cause symptons associated with the syndrome. A committee appointed by Congress said in 2008 that evidence suggested that acetyl cholinesterase inhibitors, which include the nerve gas sarin, an anti-nerve-gas agent, and pesticides used against sand flies, and a genetic sensitivity to such chemicals may be the cause of the syndrome. Some medical historians have pointed out that syndromes of undiagnosable diseases have occurred after other wars, including World Wars I and II and the American Civil War.

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Gulf War syndrome

The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military | 2001 | © The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military 2001, originally published by Oxford University Press 2001. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Gulf War syndrome a medical condition affecting many veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, causing fatigue, chronic headaches, and skin and respiratory disorders. Its origin is uncertain, though it has been attributed to exposure to a combination of pesticides, vaccines, and other chemicals.

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Gulf War syndrome

A Dictionary of Nursing | 2008 | © A Dictionary of Nursing 2008, originally published by Oxford University Press 2008. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Gulf War syndrome (gulf wor) n. a variety of symptoms, mainly neurological (including chronic fatigue, dizziness, amnesia, digestive upsets, and muscle wasting), that have been attributed to exposure of armed forces personnel to chemicals (e.g. insecticides) used during the Gulf War (1991) or possibly to the effects of vaccines and tablets given to protect personnel against the anticipated threat of chemical and biological warfare during the conflict.

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Related articles from newspapers, magazines, and more

Gulf War syndrome real, says inquiry.(News)
Newspaper article from: Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales); 11/18/2004; 700+ words ; ...is such a thing as 'Gulf War syndrome' and the Ministry of...need an increase in her war pension because she...official recognition of Gulf War syndrome would help doctors to...Veterans suffering Gulf War syndrome still cannot launch...
Authorities Deny Existence of `Gulf War Syndrome'
Transcript from: NPR Morning Edition; 1/19/1996; 700+ words ; ...has become a symbol of Gulf War Syndrome. He has visited the White House...director of the government Persian Gulf War Coordinating Board, says Gulf War Syndrome, as such, may...Executive Director, Persian Gulf War Coordinating Board: There...
Law: Gulf veterans win a skirmish The Government denies that there is any such thing as Gulf War Syndrome, but a recent Pensions Appeal Tribunal ruling has raised the hopes of Gulf veterans. The news will please one former British soldier and many comrades. JON ROBINS reports
Newspaper article from: The Independent - London; 6/11/2002; ; 700+ words ; ...regiment who served in the Gulf war, is struggling to explain...tangible evidence of what "Gulf War Syndrome" means to him. It is...peers. Since the Gulf war ended in 1991, the NGVFA...the rejected label of `Gulf Syndrome' has been replaced by...
No 'Gulf ' syndrome: Study acknowledges ailments of 1990-91 war veterans, but says evidence does not support a new and unique illness.
Newspaper article from: Newsday (Melville, NY); 9/13/2006; 700+ words ; ...physical complaints of Gulf War veterans are real...t add up to a unique syndrome with a specific name...during the 1990-91 Gulf War had any environmental...were much higher among Gulf War vets than the general...s pre-and post-war medical history. "The...and robust ...
Gulf War Syndrome sufferers get hope from new House bill
Newspaper article from: Bay State Banner; 8/18/1994; ; 700+ words ; ...Miller Bay State Banner 08-18-1994 Gulf War Syndrome sufferers get hope from new House...Miller In the three years since the Gulf War, veterans plagued by a mysterious...began when she was in the Persian Gulf; headaches, ear infections, backaches...
Congress looks into fears Gulf War Syndrome spreading to veterans' families. (Originated from Knight-Ridder Newspapers)
Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service; 3/2/1994; ; 700+ words ; ...years after the end of the Persian Gulf War, evidence has arisen that the mystery...problems _ has been dubbed Persian Gulf Syndrome. Now, a cluster of birth defects...National Guard unit that served in the gulf has been called ``alarming...
Pentagon Disputed on Gulf War Illness; Defense Study Fails to Prove Nonexistence of Syndrome, Institute Says
Newspaper article from: The Washington Post; 8/15/1995; 561 words ; ...illness among Persian Gulf War veterans. The committee...analyzed the department's Gulf War veterans health study...problems after fighting in the Gulf War. But the experts said...such thing as a "Persian Gulf syndrome" among those troops...
Panel Hits U.S. Findings On `Gulf War Syndrome'
Newspaper article from: Chicago Sun-Times; 8/14/1995; ; 560 words ; ...new or unique illness among Persian Gulf War veterans was described by medical...problems after fighting in the Persian Gulf War. But the experts said the Defense...was no such thing as a "Persian Gulf syndrome" among those troops. The Institute...
WAR IN IRAQ: Gulf War Syndrome nerve gas link.(News)
Newspaper article from: Sunday Mail (Glasgow, Scotland); 11/14/2004; 509 words ; ...VETERANS fighting for the recognition of Gulf War Syndrome as an illness have received a boost...traumatic stress 'do not explain Gulf War veterans' illnesses'. But...is not enough evidence to support Gulf War Syndrome. The report said that...
The truth must come out on the Persian War Gulf Syndrome
Newspaper article from: La Prensa de San Antonio; 6/10/1994; ; 700+ words ; ...truth must come out on the Persian War Gulf Syndrome. A number of constituents have contacted me about the mysterious Persian Gulf War Syndrome, and I have been working...or biological weapons during the Gulf War, but Senator Riegle has accused...

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Current Gulf War syndrome News:

Gulf War Illness Is Real: Study

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