As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue, researchers are looking into the top medical reasons that forced soldiers home from war. Soldiers battle problems on and off the field, and sometimes they battle emotional problems when they return. There is no doubt that improvised explosive devices have caused a lot of injuries and death, however, research shows headaches also top the list of serious medical problems.
An unknown problem
According to a study done by Johns Hopkins, headaches are a major problem causing the depletion of thousands of troops overseas.
“Everyone gets headaches, and there are generally physical or psychological stressors that contribute to them,” says study leader Steven Cohen, M.D. and associate professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “War amplifies all stressors, which may be why headaches take such a great toll in soldiers overseas.”
The cause behind the headaches
Researchers say trauma and stress did lead to numerous migraines, however, they suspect a soldier’s helmet may also be to blame.
Cohen says a significant number of headaches were the result of damage to or pressure on the occipital nerve, located in the back of the head. This is often caused by the heavy Kevlar helmets soldiers are required to wear on patrol and for long periods.
“Everyone who goes on patrol wears a Kevlar helmet,” Cohen says. “They are heavy. They are hard to wear. But if you get a headache from your helmet, you still must wear it. If you can’t tolerate your helmet, you can’t do your job. It would be too dangerous. So these folks end up being evacuated and not returning to duty.”
Off the battle field
Cohen’s study shows more 60 percent of the soldiers with headaches, never returned to battle. While there are many protections in place for soldiers, Cohen believes new guidelines and treatments for headaches need to be achieved. A new helmet design may also alleviate some of the problems.
