Health registries available at VA

Most Americans (the adults, anyway) are aware that in the 1960s and early 70s the U.S. military doused service people in Vietnam and environs with poison chemicals that caused many illnesses and death.

Some of those ill effects are still being processed and even today, many who served in the Army, Marines and Navy in those days are just now coming down with latent diagnoses. In addition, military veterans who served in later wars in the Middle East and elsewhere were exposed to a different variety of toxic chemicals that have caused illness and death among those individuals. In the last few years, the government has worked to identify those chemicals, those illnesses and those veterans, in an attempt to help all concerned.

Locally, they are encouraged to enroll in the Veterans Administration (VA) clinic and seek treatment, and if eligible to file for additional benefits. Over and above medical treatment, the VA has established environmental health registries that offer free, voluntary medical assessments for veterans who may have been exposed to environmental toxins during military service.

In addition to Agent Orange, the toxins include airborne hazardous/open burn pits during the Gulf War; ionizing radiation; depleted uranium and toxic embedded fragments.

Veterans can report their military history and obtain physical exams with what the VA says is “special attention” to symptoms and concerns related to exposures. Evaluations alert veterans to possible long-term health problems that may be related to toxic exposures.

According to local Environmental Health Registry Coordinator Matthew A. Boles, the information will help the VA to understand and respond to health problems. Boles was part of a town hall gathering on Sept. 14 at the VA medical center in North Las Vegas where he explained the program and encouraged veterans to enroll in the health registry program.

Boles went into some detail about exposures. He pointed out that there are several types of possible exposures or hazards veterans may have experienced during military service, including air pollutants such as oil well fires, sulfur fire, sand, dust and particulates. Chemicals include pesticides, depleted uranium, chromium and industrial solvents; radiation from nuclear weapons testing, X-rays or depleted uranium. Nerve agents, mustard gas, herbicide tests and storage of these items. And occupational hazards such as asbestos, lead, fuels, industrial solvents, vibration, noise, special paint on military vehicles and some coolants or insulating fluids.

Boles presented a comprehensive listing of airborne hazardous/open burn pit locations, too long to detail here. Some of the more familiar locations include Bahrain, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Syria and airspace above those areas. A list of presumptive illnesses was also discussed. Some of those include chronic sinusitis, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, kidney cancer, melanoma and many others.

Boles is dedicated to helping veterans sign up for the registries and can answer questions. He can be reached at (702) 791-9013. If you are a veteran, or know of a veteran who you feel should register, give him a call.