Section 25. Special Subjects

Chapter 306. Diseases of Unknown Cause

Topics: Introduction | Chronic Fatigue Syndrome | Gulf War Syndrome | Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome | Sick Building Syndrome

Gulf War Syndrome

Gulf War syndrome consists of a group of symptoms experienced by more than 100,000 American, British, and Canadian veterans of the Persian Gulf War (1992).

Gulf War syndrome is poorly understood. Within a few months of returning from the Persian Gulf, veterans from different military units in the United States, Britain, and Canada began reporting a variety of symptoms, including headache, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, joint pain, chest pain, skin rashes, and diarrhea. In most cases, however, the symptoms reported by the person, such as headache and nausea, could not be objectively confirmed by a doctor. Even when symptoms could be confirmed, such as a skin rash, no specific cause could be attributed to them.

The cause of Gulf War syndrome is unknown. Gulf War veterans may have been exposed to a number of potentially toxic substances, including chemical weapons, biological warfare, depleted uranium weapons, insecticides, and smoke from burning oil wells. Veterans may also have been exposed to irritant petroleum products, decontamination solutions, and a variety of airborne substances that may have produced allergies. Vaccination with the anthrax vaccine (see Section 17, Chapter 190), which was given to U.S. military personnel involved in the Gulf War as protection against biological warfare, has also been proposed as a cause, although this vaccine has not caused symptoms in other recipients. The use of pyridostigmine tablets to help prevent the lethal effects of chemical weapons has been suggested as a possible cause as well. However, none of these agents has been convincingly linked to Gulf War syndrome.

Symptoms

Symptoms predominantly involve the nervous system. These include problems with memory, reasoning, concentration, and attention; difficulty falling asleep; depression; fatigue; and headache. Other symptoms may include disorientation, dizziness, erectile dysfunction (impotence), muscle pains, muscle fatigue, weakness, pins-and-needles sensations, diarrhea, skin rashes, cough, and chest pain.

Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis

Diagnosis and treatment have not been established; therefore, doctors focus on relieving the symptoms.

Veterans who have Gulf War syndrome do not have a higher hospitalization or death rate than anyone else of the same age.