CDC Formally Recognizes Gulf War Illness
According to the publication UC San Diego Today, Gulf War Illness or GWI is a medical issue affecting as many as one-third of the nearly 700,000 U.S. troops who deployed as part of the first Gulf War.
“It is defined by a profile of symptoms, consistently identified across Gulf War veteran populations, that include persistent fatigue, cognitive difficulties, chronic pain, respiratory issues, skin problems and gastrointestinal distress.
Studies consistently indicate that GWI is strongly linked to chemical exposures during the Gulf War and is associated with multiple objective abnormalities — including structural brain changes, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and immune system changes.”
For years, the nature and origins of Gulf War Illness, once previously referred to as Gulf War Syndrome, were not fully understood. But over time, the demand for treatment and recognition of the problem grew.
Now, Gulf War veterans have additional resources to get diagnosed and receive treatment.
Related: Where to Find State Benefits for Disabled Veterans
CDC Formally Recognizes Gulf War Illness
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has formally established a specific diagnostic code for Gulf War Illness, a move giving long-overdue validation for veterans affected by the condition.
The CDC designation, which took effect in October 2025, represents a significant step toward enhancing diagnosis, standardizing care, and advancing research for Gulf War Syndrome.
The Gulf War Illness diagnostic code, T75.830, Gulf War Illness, is included in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM), which is the system used by healthcare providers across the United States to classify diagnoses and recommended procedures.
In the past, the lack of a specific code has been a barrier for veterans, forcing medical evaluators to document Gulf War Syndrome symptoms under broader, less descriptive categories.
This created difficulties in tracking the problem and created barriers for veterans seeking benefits and recognition for their service-connected health problems.
Defining the Undefined
To receive a diagnosis under the Gulf War Illness code, a veteran must meet several specific requirements. First, the individual must have been deployed to the Gulf War Theater of Operations between August 1, 1990, and July 31, 1991. Second, the veteran must experience chronic symptoms lasting for six months or longer that began either during or after this deployment period.
The veteran must exhibit symptoms in at least three of six areas:
- Fatigue and sleep problems. This includes persistent fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, or other sleep disturbances.
- Pain. This domain covers widespread musculoskeletal pain, joint pain, or chronic headaches.
- Neurological, cognitive, and mood issues. Symptoms can include problems with memory and concentration, dizziness, balance issues, depression or anxiety.
- Gastrointestinal issues. This includes irritable bowel syndrome, chronic diarrhea, and nausea.
- Respiratory problems. This involves persistent coughing, shortness of breath, or other respiratory symptoms.
- Dermatologic issues. This refers to chronic skin rashes or other skin conditions.
For symptoms to be considered for the diagnosis, they must be of at least moderate severity or the veteran must experience multiple distinct symptoms.
Related: Where to Find State Benefits for Disabled Veterans
Treatment and Care
In a clinical setting, the code helps to standardize the diagnostic process. Physicians get a universally recognized tool to identify and document Gulf War Illness.
Having a medical code also enables the systematic tracking of the illness, allowing public health officials to monitor its prevalence, understand its long-term course, and gather data on the effectiveness of different treatments.
This diagnostic code may streamline the process for veterans filing disability claims with the VA. While the VA has its own regulations for service-connected conditions, a formal diagnosis provides strong medical evidence that can support a veteran’s claim for benefits related to Gulf War Illness.
The CDC also added exposure-related codes to help document a veteran’s service history. This was done to strengthen the connection between their deployment and current health. While challenges remain, this formal recognition by a major public health agency marks an important milestone in the fight for recognition and care for Gulf War veterans.
Related: Where to Find State Benefits for Disabled Veterans
About the author
Editor-in-Chief Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
