Gulf War Syndrome: Know The Symptoms And Know Your Disability Rights

If you served in the military during the Persian Gulf War in the Southwest Asia theater of operations and suffer from an undiagnosed cluster of illnesses or conditions, you may be eligible to receive veterans disability benefits for “Gulf War Syndrome” or “Gulf War Illness.” 

After the Gulf War, medical professionals and the Department of Veteran Affairs began to notice a troubling pattern: thousands of Gulf War veterans were suffering from a vague disease that hadn’t been classified and that was not connected with a formal diagnosis. The vets with this illness reported a wide range of symptoms, including:

•    Fatigue
•    General pain and nerve pain
•    skin symptoms
•    headaches and migraines
•    muscle pain
•    connective tissue paim
•    joint pain
•    neurological symptoms
•    mental disorders
•    respiratory symptoms
•    sleep disturbance and insomnia
•    GI problems and bowel problems
•    cardiovascular symptoms
•    weight loss
•    menstrual disorders
•    depression
•    concentration issues
•    memory problems
•    diarrhea
•    hair loss
•    shortness of breath
•    abdominal pain

Unfortunately, doctors and scientists have still not been able to explain this outbreak of symptoms among this group of soldiers and do not know what has caused these debilitating medical problems in Gulf War vets. However, the federal government decided that any Gulf War vet displaying a cluster or constellation of these symptoms and mystery illnesses should be rewarded disability compensation under the presumption that it is directly related to their service. To be eligible for these benefits, veterans must have served in the Gulf War after August, 1990 and have served in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, or the Red Sea.

While some believe that Gulf War Syndrome was caused by chemicals, biological weapons, or pesticides, others believe that it is a result of an infectious disease such as a virus or bacterial infection.

Do you believe that you suffer from Gulf War Illness and deserve VA disability benefits? Talk to a Texas disability attorney today about your case and take the first step toward receiving support.

by Paul B. Burkhalter
Managing Partner of Morgan & Weisbrod, Board Certified in Social Security Disability Law.

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