What is "gulf war syndrome"

Gulf War syndrome (GWS), also known as Gulf War illnesses (GWI), is a chronic multi symptom disorder affecting returning military veterans and civilian workers of the 1990–91 Gulf War. A wide range of acute and chronic symptoms have been linked to it, including fatigue, muscle pain, cognitive problems, rashes and diarrhea. Approximately 250,000 of the 697,000 U.S. veterans who served in the 1991 Gulf War are afflicted with enduring chronic multi-symptom illness, a condition with serious consequences. From 1995 to 2005, the health of combat veterans worsened in comparison with nondeployed veterans, with the onset of more new chronic diseases, functional impairment, repeated clinic visits and hospitalizations, chronic fatigue syndrome-like illness, posttraumatic stress disorder, and greater persistence of adverse health incidents. According to a report by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan may also suffer from the syndrome.

Suggested causes have included depleted uranium, sarin gas, smoke from burning oil wells, vaccinations, combat stress and psychological factors. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) refers to the condition as Gulf War Veterans’ Medically Unexplained Illnesses. (The VA states: "We prefer not to use the term 'Gulf War Syndrome' when referring to medically unexplained symptoms reported by Gulf War Veterans. Why? Because symptoms vary widely.")