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Following the last Gulf War, 20% of persons in the VA Persian
Gulf Health Registry listed overall fatigue among their top three
symptoms.
The percentage of people reporting pain in the VA registry is similar
to persons in the general population. In a study of the general
work-force, 22% of those surveyed (n=12,095) reported fatigue as
a major symptom.
Fatigue can be temporary, often due to life circumstances, and
described by:
The experience of fatigue consists of several related parts:
There are two types of fatigue:
- acute fatigue
- persistent fatigue
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Acute Fatigue (days to weeks)
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Persistent Fatigue (>
6 months)
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What is the cause?
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Usually known and due to disease, injury,
or other life circumstance
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Not known — may be due to central nervous
system changes
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How frequent?
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Common
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Rare
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How long does it last?
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Usually a short time
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May never go away
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Is fatigue a sign of disease or illness?
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Usually/can be (flu, common cold, poor sleep,
strenuous exercise)
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Not often
In some cases, it can be a sign or symptom
of a serious disease or illness.
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What is the impact?
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May have an impact on activity, but usually
does not last long
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May severely limit activity, and cause other
problems like difficulty sleeping, family problems, changes
in mood, and inability to work
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Is it treatable?
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Doesn’t usually require treatment
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Difficult to treat
May be able to be managed
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References
1) Data from the VA Persian Gulf Health Registry
on 52,216 participants
2) Iowa Persian Gulf Study Group. Self-reported
illness and health
status among Gulf War Veterans. Journal of the American Medical
Association 1997; 277:238-245
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