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.

"U.S. hospital work prepares military docs for battlefield injuries"

According to CNN Health, a trauma center in Baltimore, MD treats dozens of trauma patients everyday. Along with the trauma patients and doctors, members of the US Air Force are also present in the hospital. Major John Renshaw will be deploying front line, to the fields in Afghanistan to treat the wounded. Him, along with other military medical personnel, are finishing a tour of duty at Baltimore's trauma center before they deploy in order to sharpen "their ability to deal with critical trauma patients."

Colonel David Powers says, "The injuries that I have treated here, that I see here at this hospital, are the closest thing to the injuries I saw in Iraq, that I have experienced in the continental U.S.,” Powers says. “I got an individual who has now been involved in a motor vehicle accident that has intracranial injuries where I have to recreate the cranial vault and the frontal sinus exactly like I have to do with an IED blast."

The other military personnel say that the things they are learning in this trauma center are going to help them to treat gunshot wounds and traumatic brain injuries that they expect to see once they are deployed.

I decided to post about this article because military in the US has always fascinated me. I think these people are not only doing great things by going over seas and fighting for our country and our freedom but they are also saving lives in the process. Programs like these work with the military in order to increase their knowledge and make our military even stronger. Practicing medicine in our country is helping people enough but to bring it over seas and help to save member of our own military is inspiring.