Panel finds widespread Gulf War illness

[seemslikeadream]

Panel finds widespread Gulf War illness


http://news.mywebpal.com/partners/680/public/news936004.html

11/16/08
ANNE USHER/Cox News Service


WASHINGTON - At least one in four U.S. veterans of the 1991 Gulf War suffers from a multi-symptom illness caused by exposure to toxic chemicals during the conflict, a congressionally mandated report being released Monday found.

For much of the past 17 years, government officials have maintained that these veterans -- more than 175,000 out of about 697,000 deployed -- are merely suffering the effects of wartime stress, even as more have come forward recently with severe ailments.

“The extensive body of scientific research now available consistently indicates that ’Gulf War illness’ is real, that it is the result of neurotoxic exposures during Gulf War deployment, and that few veterans have recovered or substantially improved with time,” said the report, being released Monday by a panel of scientists and veterans. A copy was obtained by Cox Newspapers.

Gulf War illness is typically characterized by a combination of memory and concentration problems, persistent headaches, unexplained fatigue and widespread pain. It may also include chronic digestive problems, respiratory symptoms and skin rashes.

Two things the military provided to troops in large quantities to protect them -- pesticides and pyridostigmine bromide (PB), aimed at thwarting the effects of nerve gas -- are the most likely culprits, the panel found.

The Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses, created by Congress in 2002, presented its 450-page report to Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peake on Monday. It said its report is the first to review the hundreds of U.S. and international studies on Gulf War vets since that have been conducted the mid-1990s.

[Ecumenist]

1. Well, it's about damn time!! K&R!!!!

[jagmedic]

2. Gulf War illness’ is real

I, we gulf war veterans need your help.
there are still many problems we have with the VA system.
We have no Center of Excellence for GW vets;
We need this type facilities in locations outside of Washington, DC
like California, Texas, Oklahoma.
Install electronic dispalys signs in the lobbies of VA Hospitals
which would direct vets to the Persian/Gulf War Regisry Exams.
We need all VAMC to perform Persian/Gulf War Regisry Exams on
spouses and children.
We need to know why to number of claims approved for
Undiagnosed Multisymthom illness approval is only 1% after 17 years??
We have invisible disablilities from "Gulf War Veterans Illness"
Half of OIF vets were Desert Storm Vets First

see http://www.gulflink.org and
http://www.va.gov/gulfwaradvisorycommittee
www.invisibledisabilities.com/