Suffering from Gulf War Syndrome?

• Served on active military, naval, or air service;
• In Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, or the airspace above these locations;
• Since August 2, 1990.

Note that the designated area covered does not include Afghanistan—but veterans with service in Afghanistan during the Persian Gulf War Era may qualify for presumptive service connection for certain infectious diseases (see below).

If a veteran doesn’t have the qualifying service above, he or she might still be able to receive VA disability compensation for disabilities due to service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations, but the veteran’s claim and evidence collected by the VA must show that the veteran’s claimed disability is at least as likely as not related to or incurred in service.

• Undiagnosed illnesses
• Medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illnesses defined by a cluster of signs and symptoms (MUCMIs)
• Infectious diseases

A veteran has an undiagnosed illness if there is medical evidence of unexplained symptoms. Gulf War Syndrome symptoms could include fatigue, skin signs or symptoms, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, neurological signs or symptoms, neuropsychological signs or symptoms, respiratory disorders or symptoms, sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal signs or symptoms, cardiovascular signs or symptoms, abnormal weight loss, or menstrual disorders.

A medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness, on the other hand, is a diagnosed illness. However, the medical community doesn’t fully understand how the illness arises or the mechanics of how the illness works. Examples of MUCMIs include:

• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a condition of long-term and severe fatigue that is not relieved by rest and is not directly caused by other conditions. Chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms may affect many bodily systems, making it difficult to diagnose.
• Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by widespread muscle pain. Other symptoms may include insomnia, morning stiffness, headache, and memory problems.
• Functional Gastrointestinal Issues like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, a condition marked by chronic or recurrent symptoms related to the large intestine. Examples of symptoms include constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, stomach pain, and bloating.

To obtain presumptive service connection for an undiagnosed illness or MUCMI, the disability must have begun during service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations or must become at least 10 percent disabling before December 31, 2026. In addition, the undiagnosed illness or MUCMI must be chronic—meaning it must have existed for at least six months or have intermittent episodes over a period of at least six months.

Also, the VA assumes that Gulf War service either caused or aggravated certain infectious diseases, even if there was no evidence of them during active service. The following diseases are available for presumptive service connection not just for Persian Gulf War veterans with service in the countries listed above, but also those with active military, naval, or air service on or after September 19, 2001, in Afghanistan. All but three of the qualifying infectious diseases, as noted below, must have caused at least a 10 percent disability within one year of separation from active service. They are:

• Brucellosis
• Campylobacter jejuni
• Coxiella burnetii (Q fever)
• Nontyphoid Salmonella
• Shigella
• West Nile Virus
• Visceral leishmaniasis (no time limit)
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis (no time limit)
• Malaria (if not 10 percent disabling or more within one year of separation, may be 10 percent or more within a recognized incubation period that commenced during active service)

Any eligible Gulf War veteran who has medical evidence of any disability should consider a claim for VA disability benefits. If a veteran has a current disability that is not on the list of undiagnosed illnesses, MUCMIs, or infectious diseases, he or she can still receive VA disability compensation, but the veteran’s claim and evidence collected by the VA must show that the disability is at least as likely as not related to the veteran’s service.

If you are a Gulf War veteran and the VA has denied your disability claim or assigned an inadequate disability rating, you should appeal.

Berry Law can help you seek the VA disability benefits you deserve for service in the Gulf War. We can review your existing claim file and/or medical records and determine whether they accurately reflect your disability. If you need an updated medical exam, we can help in the process of obtaining one.

Most of all, Berry Law provides experience with litigating VA claims. We know the system and what’s required to get results. We know how to navigate cases through the VA appeals process efficiently and successfully. Let us put our knowledge to work for you. Schedule a consultation today.

For example, service-connected irritable bowel syndrome can receive a VA rating of 0, 10, or 30 percent disabling, depending on how frequent and severe episodes of bowel or abdominal issues are.

Generally, asymptomatic conditions are assigned a 0 percent disability rating, meaning the veteran gets no monthly disability compensation for that condition.

Click here to learn more about how the VA assigns disability ratings and determines the amount of monthly disability compensation.