Iraq War Veterans
health issues
https://www.va.gov/health-care/health-needs-conditions/health-issues-related-to-service-era/iraq-war
What health risks should I know about related to my service
in the Iraq War?
You may be at risk of:
- Health problems caused by toxic chemicals or other
hazardous materials in the environment, like:
- Sand,
dust, and particulates: Tiny matter found in the
air
- Burn
pit smoke: Smoke from open-air pits
often used to get rid of waste (like chemicals, paints, munitions, and
other substances) at military sites in Iraq
- Depleted
uranium: Uranium used in military
tank armor and some bullets
- Sulfur
fire (Al Mishraq, Iraq): A fire at a sulfur plant
that burned for almost a month in June 2003 and released large amounts of
sulfur dioxide into the air
- Chemical
warfare agents (OIF): Exposure to mustard or
nerve agents from demolishing or handling explosive ordnance in Iraq
- Chromium
(Qarmat Ali, Basrah, Iraq): Hexavalent chromium (a
chemical known to cause cancer) found in contaminated sodium dichromate
dust at the Qarmat Ali Water Treatment Facility in 2003
- Injuries caused by:
- Extreme
heat: Health problems (like
heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and sunburn) that can be caused by serving
in hot desert climates
- Toxic
embedded fragments: Shrapnel and other metals
(some containing chemicals) that stay in your body after an injury and
can cause injury at the site of the fragment or in other parts of your
body
- Explosions:
Explosions that can cause concussions and traumatic brain injury (TBI),
an injury to the head that affects the way your brain works
- Noise:
Harmful sounds from guns, explosives, rockets, heavy weapons, jets and
aircraft, and machinery that can cause or contribute to hearing loss and
tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
- Illnesses caused by:
- Infectious
diseases: There are 9 infectious
diseases related to Southwest Asia and Afghanistan military service.
These are malaria, brucellosis, campylobacter jejuni, coxiella burnetii
(Q Fever), mycobacterium tuberculosis, nontyphoid salmonella, shigella,
visceral leishmaniasis, and West Nile Virus.
- Rabies:
A disease that you get from a bite or contact with saliva from an infected
animal
- Illnesses
or injuries caused by occupational (job-related) hazards:
Chemicals, paints, radiation, and other hazards you may have come in
contact with through your military job
- Side
effects of Mefloquine (brand name: Lariam®):
A drug given to military personnel to help protect against malaria (an
infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes)
What
should I do now?
Take these steps to make sure you’re taking care of your health:
- Talk to your primary health care provider or your local
VA environmental health coordinator about any health concerns related to
your military service.
Find your local VA environmental health coordinator - If you have embedded fragments, ask about getting an
exam through the Toxic Embedded Fragment Surveillance Center.
Download our Toxic Embedded Fragments fact sheet (PDF) - If you think you had contact with depleted
uranium,
ask about getting screened through the Depleted Uranium Follow-up
Program.
Learn more about the Depleted Uranium Follow-up Program - Ask about joining these registries to document your
exposures and health concerns:
The Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry
The Gulf War Registry - Find out if you can get disability compensation
(monthly payments) and other benefits if you have an illness or injury
caused—or made worse—by your active-duty service.
Gulf War Illness
Contact with hazardous materials
More information about your benefits
Learn more about your VA health care benefits, your health care team, and where you’ll go for care.
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