CAPT Martin Lloyd Sanders is a valiant captain that works hard to protect his countrymen, a war hero and an officer at the US Public Health Service. In a recent interview, he discussed the health problems faced by US veterans that few people know about. It is worth noticing that while most people tend to talk about PTSD and similarly discussed conditions, statistics show that many other health problems are common among US veterans, including those discussed below, which are not that well-known.
Autoimmune Disorders
These are diseases that happen as the immune system is attacking healthy tissue. Martin Lloyd Sanders mentions that these are disproportionately common with veterans and the main culprit is stress. While post-traumatic stress disorder is often discussed and is a really serious mental health issue, it is not the end of the suffering noticed by veterans. PTSD causes damage that will cause various symptoms, including the development of autoimmune disorders.
Hearing Loss
The possibility that a US veteran will suffer from some type of hearing loss is much higher than people believe, according to CAPT Martin Lloyd Sanders. This is because of the nature of the job. Military personnel often stands close to firing guns, jet engines or is exposed to explosions. Military service is officially listed as a high-risk occupation for hearing. Dampened aural sense is just the beginning, with numerous other symptoms being prevalent because of exposure to vibration and extreme noise. Ear ringing, for instance, is something that many veterans report.
Lung Problems
Lung problems are common among veterans because of where they were stationed and is more common for those that were deployed overseas. For instance, soldiers stationed in Iraq, at Balad AFB, reported that air was filled with smoke that was coming from the waste disposal burning of the base. Various items were burned there, including paint, metals, medical waste, chemicals, plastics and munitions. Unfortunately, being close to such a burning pit often causes serious lung problems. Smoke toxins led to various eye, lung, skin and even cardiovascular problems.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Commonly referred to as TBI, traumatic brain injury is a very serious health issue affecting head trauma recipients. Something like this can happen following any object hitting the head, explosive blasts, and heads striking objects, like in car accidents.
In veterans, TBI is often caused by roadside explosive blasts as they were deployed in active war zones. Even if the soldier sits at a large distance, pressure waves caused by explosions will cause damage to brain tissues. Contrary to popular belief, the brain is much more delicate than people say and constant exposure to explosions can lead to TBI.
Final Thoughts
US veterans are faced with numerous health problems and unfortunately, the help offered to them is much less than what it should be. People like Martin Lloyd Sanders fight to make a change but this is hard to do since most people do not even know about the high risks mentioned above, which is just a part of all that could go wrong in a war zone.
2018 ·
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