I Was On Active Duty During The Gulf War. Over The Last Few Years My Doctors Have Been Trying To Diagnose And Treat My Severe And Ongoing Symptoms That Don’t Have A Known Cause. Can I Get Veterans’ Disability Benefits For Gulf War Syndrome Or For Something Else?

Yes. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) stopped using the name Gulf War Syndrometo refer to these clusters of chronic symptoms with no known causes because the signs of this class of illness can vary significantly from person to person. The condition is now referred to as a chronic multi-symptom illness or an undiagnosed illness.

Do You Have One of These Conditions?

You may qualify for veterans’ disability benefits if you have:

Chronic fatigue syndrome. Significant and persistent tiredness that is not explained by other causes or relieved by rest can impact your ability to work and to go about your daily activities.
Fibromyalgia. Muscle pain and other symptoms can interfere with your life and result in a disability.
A functional gastrointestinal disorder. Abnormal functioning of a gastrointestinal organ can be painful and result in a disability. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is an example of this type of disorder.
An undiagnosed illness. Depending on the symptoms and their severity, it is possible to have an undiagnosed illness that seriously impacts your life.

Symptoms of these illnesses can include:

Unexpected weight loss
Muscle and joint pain
Headaches
Fatigue
Memory problems
Dizziness
Digestive issues
Respiratory disorders
Cardiovascular diseases
Skin conditions
Neurological and physiological problems
Sleep disturbances and insomnia

You do no need to demonstrate a connection between your service and your illness if:

You served the Southwest Asia theater of military operations
Your condition began during active duty or before the end of 2021
You are at least 10% disabled
Your condition cannot be explained by another cause

Having an unexplained illness can be scary. Continuing with your medical care is important, and learning how to be compensated for your service-connected illness is important, too. To find out more about your options, talk to one of the knowledgeable Texas veterans’ disability lawyers at Morgan & Weisbrod today. Contact us toll-free or through this website for more information.