Heavy Echoes Of The Gulf War. Part 3 of 3

So it is possible that the changes in white matter noted in this study were related to these conditions and not Gulf War illness. But teasing distinctly the brain changes associated with these conditions could be challenging because of the overlap in their symptoms. For example, if you meet the criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia and you were in the military in 1990 or 1991, your tamper with could decide that you have Gulf War illness.

To diagnose Gulf War illness, doctors generally look for at least moderately severe symptoms in the following areas: fatigue; pain; disposition and cognition; and gastrointestinal, respiratory and skin problems. If the differences reported in this study can be supported by other studies, it could open doors for diagnostic testing based on this type of MRI.

It is a simple, unshakably test that does not involve radiation. Such a test would help vets get out of the “your word against theirs” challenge in getting services from VA systems, which includes not only medical treatment, but also benefits for their families.

Veterans of the late-model wars in Iraq and Afghanistan also are in need of a diagnostic test for mild traumatic brain injury in cases where they cannot prove the injury based on having endured an explosion or lost consciousness. The more researchers discern the brain damage that is underlying Gulf War illness, the further along they will be in developing treatments arabia. Although it is fairly well agreed upon that Gulf War illness is caused by exposure to chemicals, and the inclined to culprits are chemicals in nerve gas and the pesticides used to protect troops from mosquitoes and other insects, treatments have been elusive.

Parts: 1 2 3