Gulf War illnesses: complex medical, scientific and political paradox.

Toxicological assessments of Gulf War veterans.

Concerns about unexplained illnesses among veterans of the 1991 Gulf War appeared soon after that conflict ended. Many environmental causes have been suggested, including possible exposure to depleted uranium munitions, vaccines and other drugs used to protect troops, deliberate or accidental exposure to chemical warfare agents and pesticides and smoke from oil-well fires. To help resolve these...

Risk and the social construction of 'Gulf War Syndrome'.

Fifteen years since the events that are held by some to have caused it, Gulf War Syndrome continues to exercise the mind and energies of numerous researchers across the world, as well as those who purport to be its victims and their advocates in the media, law and politics. But it may be that the search for a scientific or medical solution to this issue was misguided in the first place, for Gul...

Gulf War Illness and the Health of Gulf War Veterans Scientific Findings and Recommendations Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses Gulf War Illness and the Health of Gulf War Veterans Scientific Findings and Recommendations

Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses

In 1990 and 1991, approximately 697,000 U.S. troops were deployed in the Persian Gulf during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The United States suffered relatively few casualties during the brief air and ground war against Iraq. Since returning home, however, many veterans have developed illnesses that appear to be related to their military service in the Gulf. Researchers caution tha...

Many Gulf War illnesses may be autoimmune disorders caused by the chemical and biological stressors pyridostigmine bromide, and adrenaline.

Gulf War-related illnesses are mostly common ailments, but with incidence rates that exceed those expected in the population of Gulf War veterans. These illnesses may be the result of combinations of chemical and physiological stressors which may have caused acute cellular effects sufficient to initiate processes of autoimmunity to various organs, tissues or types of cells. Two main suspects in...