The legacy of Vietnam and Agent Orange continues to impact countless veterans. Agent Orange, a powerful herbicide used during the Vietnam War, has been definitively linked by medical science to a range of severe health conditions. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) now recognizes specific cancers and numerous other health problems as presumptive diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure.
Beyond Agent Orange, exposure to other herbicides during military service can also be connected to various diseases. If you were exposed to Agent Orange or similar chemicals and have been diagnosed with any of the following conditions, you may be eligible for disability benefits. Furthermore, survivors of veterans who suffered from these illnesses may also qualify for assistance, especially in cases related to the long-term Agent Orange effects or Agent Orange poisoning.
Veterans’ Diseases Presumed to be Associated with Agent Orange Exposure:
- AL Amyloidosis: A rare disease caused when an abnormal protein, amyloid, enters tissues or organs.
- Chronic B-cell Leukemias: A type of cancer which affects white blood cells.
- Chloracne (or similar acneform disease): A skin condition that occurs soon after chemical exposure, resembling common acne. Under VA regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of herbicide exposure.
- Diabetes Mellitus Type 2: A disease characterized by high blood sugar levels resulting from the body’s inability to respond properly to the hormone insulin.
- Hodgkin’s Disease: A malignant lymphoma (cancer) characterized by progressive enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen, and by progressive anemia.
- Ischemic Heart Disease: A disease characterized by a reduced supply of blood to the heart, leading to chest pain.
- Multiple Myeloma: A cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell found in bone marrow.
- Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: A group of cancers that affect the lymph glands and other lymphatic tissue.
- Parkinson’s Disease: A progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects muscle movement.
- Peripheral Neuropathy, Early-Onset: A nervous system condition causing numbness, tingling, and motor weakness. Under VA’s rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of herbicide exposure.
- Porphyria Cutanea Tarda: A disorder characterized by liver dysfunction and by thinning and blistering of the skin in sun-exposed areas. Under VA’s rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.
- Prostate Cancer: Cancer of the prostate; one of the most common cancers among men.
- Respiratory Cancers (includes lung cancer): Cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus.
- Soft Tissue Sarcomas: A group of different types of cancers in body tissues such as muscle, fat, blood, and lymph vessels, as well as connective tissues (excluding osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, or mesothelioma).
Have You Been Denied Your Benefits?
Our attorneys are experienced in Veteran’s Disability Claims. We are Certified Veteran Appeal Lawyers committed to helping veterans and their survivors secure the benefits they deserve, especially those affected by Agent Orange effects or Agent Orange poisoning from their service in Vietnam.
If you have been denied your VA benefits related to Agent Orange exposure, please call us at 800-861-7262. We will get started on your appeal right away because we are here to help you.
This article is for educational and marketing purposes only. It does not create an attorney-client relationship.
