Gulf War Illness (Gulf War Syndrome) Resources of Note

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Image via WikipediaGulf War Illness (Gulf War Syndrome) Resources of Note

Gulf War Illness (Gulf War Syndrome) Resources of Note

A few good relatively comprehensive Web sites

• Gulf War Veteran’s Illnesses (US Department of Veteran’s Affairs)
  This Web site includes
• a Gulf War Registry Program (http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/gulfwar/registry_exam.asp) for Gulf War Veterans who have health concerns that they believe are related to their Gulf War service.  This program provides eligible Gulf War Veterans a free specialized and comprehensive health examination with blood work, urinalysis, other testing as indicated, and answers to questions relating to any Gulf Warenvironmental exposures.  If you are interested in this program, please contact the Environmental Health Coordinator (http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/coordinators.asp) at your local VA.

The VA recognizes certain infectious diseases as related to military service in Southwest Asia during the first Gulf War starting August 2, 1990, through the conflict in Iraq and on or after September 19, 2001, in Afghanistan.

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• War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC)
  This Web page has links to information about deployment related exposures , deployment related health conditions, and health information fact sheets.

Some examples

Dust, sand, and other airborne particles

Depleted Uranium

Post traumatic stress disorder

Readjustment
How to Evaluate Health Information on the Internet

• MedlinePlus: Veterans and Military Health has links under topics as Prevention/Screening, Coping, Specific Conditions, Organizations, Directories

Some links at this Web page

Military and Veterans Health Care(Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation)

Military Mental Health(American Psychiatric Association)

Resources for Returning Veterans and Their Families(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)

Organizations

• • Center for Women Veterans
  • Dept. of Defense, Deployment Health Clinical Center
  • Dept. of Veterans Affairs
  • House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

• Milhealth’s Directory of Military Health Information Resources & Research

Medical Librarian Karen Estrada is the publisher. “Mrs. Estrada serves clinical medical professionals state-side and abroad (military & civilian), members of the military, veterans, military families, military medicine/health researchers, and organizations (mil/vet) located all over the globe including ‘in theater’ (Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait).”

• Self-Help on Gulf War Illness from The National Gulf War Resource Center
  

A few more Web sites

• Examining Possible Causes of Gulf War Illness :RAND Policy investigation and review of the scientific literature
• The National Academies Press is up to at least volume 8 in its series Gulf War and Health Go here and scroll down to Gulf; this is the result of searching the site for Gulf War and Health
  These online books are rather lengthy (400 pages and up) but are comprehensive and the contents can be searched.These books are written by the top experts in the fields.
  If you come across something in one of the books, you might consider emailing one of the authors. Many experts are quite willing to share information.
  Here are a few of the titles
• Gulf War and Health: Volume 1. Depleted Uranium, Pyridostigmine Bromide, Sarin, and Vaccines (2000)
• Gulf War and Health: Volume 2: Insecticides and Solvents
• Gulf War and Health: Volume 3: Health Effects of Serving in the Gulf War
• Gulf War and Health: Volume 6: Physiologic, Psychologic, and Psychosocial Effects of Deployment-Related Stress …and, lastly, a few related articles
  
• Questions remain over Gulf War Syndrome (first4lawyers)
• Gulf War: 9,000 (UK) Ex-Troops Still Suffering (Sky News)
• VA Benefits More Readily Accessible to Gulf War Vets ((VA Benefits Blog))
• Health Benefits for Nine New Diseases (VA Benefits Blog)
• Post-deployment PTSD symptoms more common in military personnel with prior mental health disorders (Science Daily 2 May 2011)
• Behavioral health research stimulates policy changes for care of Iraq, Afghanistan veterans
  AcademyHealth recognizes military health research study with 2011 HSR Impact Award