Gulf War Syndrome
Facts for kids
The following fact
sheet contains interesting facts and information on the Gulf War Syndrome
for kids.
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts for kids: Potential Causes and Symptoms
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts - 1:
Potential Causes: The Persian Gulf War (2 August 1990 –
28 February 1991) was a conflict in the Middle East in
which 88,500 tons of bombs, some containing Uranium,
were dropped on Iraq. Conventional warfare tactics
disintegrated as Iraq began an "environmental war"
against its enemies.
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts - 2: A third of
veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War experienced
chronic fatigue, muscle or joint pain, sleeping
problems, rashes and breathing troubles
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts -
3:
Potential Causes: The "environmental war" waged by Iraq
included blowing up Kuwaiti oil wells. Over 700 oil
wells were set alight and an estimated one billion
barrels of oil burned.
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts - 4:
Potential Causes: The Kuwaiti oil fires produced heavy
smoke and pure black soot-filled plumes that polluted both the soil
and the air. The smoke from the oil fires contained a cocktail of
chemicals, notably, benzene, hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide and
have been linked to the Gulf War Syndrome.
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts - 5:
Potential Causes: The "environmental war" included the
use of scud missiles (long-range surface-to-surface guided missiles)
that were used by Iraq to strike targets in Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts - 6:
Potential Causes: Israel feared that the Iraqi scud
missiles were filled with nerve agents, such as sarin. The concerns
of the government were so great that gas masks were issued to
Israeli citizens.
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts - 7:
Potential Causes: Low levels of sarin were released
after the Persian Gulf war when US troops destroyed the large
ammunition storage depot at Khamisiyah in southeastern Iraq.
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts - 8:
Potential Causes: Vaccines and medications given to the
military against biological and chemical warfare agents
have also be hypothesized as a possible cause of Gulf
War Syndrome. The US military issued pyridostigmine
bromide (PB) pills to protect against exposure to nerve
gas agents such as sarin.
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts - 9:
Potential Causes: Another risk factor that has been
investigated is the use of chemical based pesticides
that were used against sand flies that spread a
parasitic disease.
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts - 10: Symptoms: Joint
pains and chronic fatigue were the most common symptoms
followed by headaches, muscle and joint pains, short
term memory loss, sleep disturbance and various skin
problems such as unexplained rashes and dermatitis.
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts - 11: Symptoms:
Other symptoms included depression, stress,
breathlessness, hair loss and gastrointestinal
complaints such as diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain.
Continued...
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts for kids: Potential Causes and Symptoms
Facts
about the Gulf War Syndrome for kids
The following fact
sheet continues with facts about the Gulf War Syndrome for kids.
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts for kids: Potential Causes and Symptoms
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts -
12: Symptoms: Similar
reports of the divergent symptoms of the chronic
multi-symptom disorder were reported by American,
Canadian, British and Australian veterans alike.
Although experts believed that the Gulf War Syndrome was
not contagious, the spouses of veterans also reported
similar symptoms.
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts - 13: In 1994 an
advisory panel organized by the National Institutes of
Health (NIH), one of the world's foremost medical
research centers, reported that the Gulf War syndrome
represented many illnesses and many causes. The National
Institutes of Health (NIH) deemed biological and
chemical warfare agents unlikely as causes.
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts -
14: In 1999 medical
researchers reported that the brain scans of some sick
Gulf War veterans revealed signs of damage caused by
exposure to toxic chemicals.
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts - 15: In 2004 another study
suggested that some veterans may have been sensitive enough to
experience low levels of poison gases to cause symptoms associated
with the Gulf War syndrome.
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts - 16: In 2008 the US Department of
Veterans Affairs Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans
Illnesses appointed by US Congress, headed by chief scientist Dr
Beatrice Golomb, analyzed more than 100 research studies of the Gulf
War Syndrome.
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts - 17: The committee reported that
evidence suggested that acetyl cholinesterase inhibitors, that occur
naturally as venoms and poisons, used as weapons in the form of
nerve agents such as sarin or used as insecticides may be the cause
of the Gulf War syndrome.
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts - 18: The UK government has yet to
acknowledge the existence of Gulf War syndrome as a
physical illness caused by military service in the
Persian Gulf.
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts - 19: Dr Beatrice Golomb, of the
University of California, San Diego said "Psychological stressors
are inadequate to account for the excess illness seen"
Gulf War Syndrome
Facts for kids: Potential Causes and Symptoms
Gulf War Syndrome - President George H Bush Video
The article on the Gulf War Syndrome provides detailed facts and a summary of one of the important events during his presidential term in office. The following
George H Bush video will
give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 41st American President whose presidency spanned from January 20, 1989 to January 20, 2001.
Gulf War Syndrome
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Interesting Facts about the syndrome for kids and schools
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Summary of the Gulf War Syndrome in US history
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Gulf War Syndrome causes and symptoms
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George H Bush from January 20, 1989 to January 20, 2001
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Fast, fun facts about the Gulf War Syndrome
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Foreign & Domestic
policies of President George H Bush
● George H Bush Presidency and
Gulf War Syndrome for schools,
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