The G's

Question 1

When was the Gulf War Syndrome first used?

Answer 1

first used in the United States to describe a cluster of medically unexplained symptoms reported in US veterans not long after the end of the Gulf War. Similar patterns of symptoms in UK troops, who had been deployed to the Gulf, surfaced after a television broadcast in June 1993.

Question 2

What is the cause of Gulf War Syndrome?

Answer 2

Although a wide variety of explanations have been proposed (ranging from the side effects of vaccinations, chemical and biological toxins, pesticides, smoke from oil well fires to the effects of depleted uranium) no investigation has succeeded in identifying a single organic cause.

Question 3

Was the Gulf War Syndrome unique to Gulf veterans?

Answer 3

Research has shown that the cluster of symptoms associated with Gulf War Syndrome was not unique to Gulf veterans and can be seen, albeit with lesser severity, in servicemen deployed to Bosnia and elsewhere. As a result, it is usual in the UK to refer to Gulf-related illness (Unwin et al., 1999). It is a recent example of a postcombat disorder.