Iraq and Afghanistan Air May Be Causing Lung Damage to Our Military

In a recent reporting, physician Robert Miller documented the condition of constrictive bronchitis (which is a rare occurrence in young adults) in 38 of 49 soldiers studied, who had served over seas in Iraq or Afghanistan and became ill with lung problems. Soldiers with this condition have a hard time breathing and catching their breath. Given steroids and anti-inflammatory medicine can help the symptoms temporarily, but ultimately the soldiers do not improve.

Biopsies conducted on small bits of lung tissue from the soldiers showed that there is abnormal tissue that is scarred and inflamed. Also most of them harbored grayish-black deposits in the lungs. The blackened nature of the deposits signals carbon. With more and more reports of our military personnel having repertory problems, this signals that the air in Iraq and Afghanistan is only getting worse. Even tiny complexes of titanium and iron are being found in soldier’s lungs. These metals cause scarring inflammation and irreversible damage.

The dust storms in Iraq and Afghanistan are surely one of the main causes in repertory problems for our military personnel over seas. The metals from explosive devices and burning garbage gets in the air and makes it very easy to inhale metals and other foreign substances. One of the best precautions our military can take over seas is wearing masks or respirators while in the vicinity of burning garbage and other toxic materials. When a dust storms hits we can try to put on masks, but then again some times you have to roll with the punches, and continue on with the mission at hand.