Long-dismissed ‘Gulf War Illness’ finally recognized with international medical code
Vets says doctors often question if Gulf War Illness is real. The condition was just added as a formal diagnosis in a key international medical system.
Drew F. Lawrence
Published Oct 8, 2025 4:17 PM EDT
Soldiers in military fatigues in the desert, with figures visible in the background, in the Saudi–Iraqi neutral zone on the border between Saudi Arabia and the Iraq, 1991. (Photo by David Turnley/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)
Veterans who have long sought recognition for a medical condition linked to their service in the Gulf War earned a major victory last week with the approval of a medical diagnostic code for “Gulf War Illness.” Photo by David Turnley via Getty
Veterans who have long sought recognition for a medical condition linked to their service in the Gulf War earned a major victory last week.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently approved a diagnostic code for “Gulf War Illness,” which went into effect on Oct. 1. The code represents a long-sought breakthrough that will allow doctors across the country to diagnose and treat the condition – formal medical validation that has eluded these veterans for more than 30 years.
Gulf War Illness, or GWI, is a chronic, often debilitating condition with several symptoms, including constant fatigue, cognitive issues, chronic pain, respiratory difficulties, skin problems and gastrointestinal distress. Researchers estimate that up to one-third of the roughly 700,000 troops deployed to the Gulf War have GWI.
But as of October, GWI is now recognized in the International Classification of Diseases, or ICD-10-CM, which is managed by CDC.
https://taskandpurpose.com/military-life/gulf-war-illness-veterans/
