Veterans who served at Camp Lejeune, including their families, for at least 30 cumulative days from August 1950 through December 1987 might have contracted the following medical conditions from using the water at the base.
Bladder Cancer
This type of cancer usually attacks older adults (which makes sense because most of the affected individuals are veterans of the US army). The good news is that this kind of cancer is treatable through surgery, chemotherapy, and biological therapy. Some of the most common symptoms of bladder cancer include the presence of blood in urine and pain during urination.
Hepatic Steatosis
Also known as fatty liver disease, this condition occurs due to the buildup of fat in the liver. It's even more prevalent among individuals with diabetes. Unfortunately, there's no cure for this condition, but can be managed through regular treatment. The worst thing about it is that it has no symptoms, making it even more difficult to diagnose.
Kidney Cancer
As the name suggests, kidney cancer refers to the type of cancer that starts developing in the kidneys. Some of the possible symptoms of kidney cancer include hematuria (presence of blood in the urine), lower back pain, constant fatigue, loss of appetite, rapid weight loss, and unexplained fever.
Leukemia
Leukemia is a type of cancer that prevents the body from fighting infections. Some of the most common symptoms of leukemia include pain in the bones and joints, constant fatigue, dizziness, and fever. Individuals with leukemia might also develop mouth ulcers, skin lesions, and swollen lymph nodes.
Miscarriages
A miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of pregnancy, usually before the 20th week. If you served at Camp Lejeune and constantly experienced miscarriages after that, this could be a result of the chemicals found in the water there.
Lung Cancers
This type of cancer begins in the lungs and spreads to other parts of the body. Although lung cancer is usually associated with smokers, many veterans who served at Camp Lejeune have been diagnosed with this type of cancer.
As a result, all fingers point at the chemicals that were discovered in the water at the base. Some of the most common symptoms of lung cancer include pain in the chest and ribcage, constant cough, frequent respiratory infections, wheezing, shortness of breath, swollen lymph nodes, and rapid weight loss.
The exact treatment for that particular type of lung cancer will depend on its stage. Usually, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy are the most common types of treatment for lung cancer.
Renal Toxicity
Also known as nephrotoxicity, this medical condition occurs mostly when your body is exposed to a harmful chemical that causes kidney damage. The symptoms of renal toxicity include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, shortness of breath, decreased urinary output, etc.
Scleroderma
Have you noticed your skin suddenly turning tighter each passing day? If so, you might be tempted to think it's just a normal aging process. Although this could be true, there's also a possibility that you may be suffering from scleroderma, a rare condition that mostly affects women. And if you served at Camp Lejeune, this condition could derive from the chemicals you were exposed to at the site.
Individuals who suffer from scleroderma experience symptoms such as constant joint pain, sensitivity to cold, and regular heartburn.