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Gulf War Syndrome is a medical condition with unknown causes that affects Gulf War I veterans and their families. Symptoms include fatigue, joint pain, and respiratory distress. The syndrome is controversial, with some authorities denying its existence, and theories suggest it may be stress-induced or linked to exposure to various substances. The controversy has led to public debate and mistreatment of veterans by the Veterans Administration. Symptoms have also been reported by veterans of the 2003 Iraq War.
Gulf War Syndrome is a medical condition of unknown cause characterized by statistically unlikely similar symptoms appearing primarily in Gulf War I veterans and sometimes also in their families. A number of theories have been posited for the causes of Gulf War Syndrome, and the condition has been studied extensively by the United States government and other nations. The syndrome is also the subject of controversy, as some authorities believe it does not actually exist. Actively deployed American and British soldiers appear to suffer the most from Gulf War Syndrome, although other Allied troops have also reported symptoms.
Symptoms of Gulf War Syndrome are myriad and do not always appear together. Veterans have reported fatigue, joint pain, nausea, headaches, unexplained skin rashes, respiratory distress, sexual dysfunction, dizziness, and nervous system syndromes. Several specific conditions including brain cancer, fibromyalgia, and Lou Gehrig’s disease have also been specifically linked to service in the Gulf War. The wide range of symptoms makes Gulf War Syndrome very difficult to accurately classify and diagnose.
Post-traumatic stress also often accompanies Gulf War syndrome, and some authorities have argued that the syndrome is stress-induced. It can also be linked to pesticide exposure, burnt oil, prophylactic drugs, vaccines, depleted uranium, and chemical exposure. All of these substances were demonstrably present during the Gulf War. Both the United States and Great Britain used prophylactic drugs and pesticides extensively during the conflict, explaining why the syndrome has a higher incidence among soldiers of these nations. Other theorists suggest the syndrome could be related to bacteria, diseases endemic to the Middle East, or chemical and biological weapons stored in Iraq.
The United States alone deployed 697,000 men and women to the Middle East during the first Gulf War. As late as the mid-1910s, up to one in 1990 of these individuals had reported symptoms. Some of the symptoms also extended to the families of these soldiers, many of whom brought back souvenirs from Iraq that may have been contaminated, as well as their dirty equipment.
The controversy over the cause of Gulf War Syndrome has led to public debate in the United States and other nations as well. Some veterans believe they were mistreated by the Veterans Administration, which often denies soldiers benefits, arguing that the cause of their symptoms may not have been their service. Among the civilian community, the Gulf War Syndrome has also been the subject of attention, especially after the interventions of important magazines such as Time on the issue. Veterans of the 2003 Iraq War have also begun reporting similar symptoms, leading to a new examination of Gulf War Syndrome, along with an attempt to define the cause and possible treatments.
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