Shell Shock And Other Post-War Medical Issues

The war has brought many medical issues that have currently not been solved as of November 1919. Many medical complications have arisen amongst our war soldiers, and these complications are affecting our male demographic greatly. As we are reaching the one year mark since the end of the war, citizens are concerned about the health of their families. Some of the most common illnesses our doctors have found include trench foot, trench fever, typhoid, and gas Exposure. The most dangerous sickness doctors have found in our men is a mental illness called “Shell Shock.” Canadians are in desperate need for a cure and are unable to live on with their lives the same as before the war. This is a desperate cry for help from our citizens.

Meera Shell shock is a mental illness that plenty of our former war soldiers are currently affected by. Doctors have reported this disorder has been caused by the exposure to exploding shells on the war fields. Some of the symptoms doctors have found in victims of shell shock include: anxiety, nightmares, depression, loss of appetite, dizziness, disorientation, and the list goes on. A treatment has not been yet found for these patients, and as a result, our hospitals are overcrowding with shell shock victims. Trench foot has also been affecting majority of the male population in Canada. Trench foot is a medical complication where blood does not circulate in the leg region. In the case of a war soldier, this was caused due to cold water and mud coming in contact with the soldiers feet for long durations of time. This eventually resulted in loss of toes due to dead cells, nerves, and tissues.

There is only one treatment being performed on these patients, which is cutting off the soldiers infected feet. This is not very effective as men with trench foot are unable to contribute towards the workforce as they are unable to move around and get work done. Trench Fever is another name for body lice. This illness was very common amongst soldiers in trenches as it was very contagious. This was a very infectious disease as more than 97% of our soldiers have had it over the course of the war. A few of the symptoms of this illness include: headaches, muscle pain, high fevers, and sores. Trench fever was caused by a lack of hygiene in the trenches. That is why this sickness was very contagious, and caused men to have it more than once. There is no longer a need for this treatment as there has been an increase in visits to the hospital after the war, and doctors have helped our men recover safely with the help of medicine. Gases was used by the on the battlefield for a number of reasons, and this caused gas exposure/ gas related injuries. Some gases were used just to make soldiers tear up, or make their noses run. Meanwhile, the more hazardous gases were used to kill. When a gas bomb went off, the fumes would get trapped into the clothing resulting in sores and blisters all over one’s body. This could have easily been solved by cleaning their clothes, but this was very hard to accomplish considering the living conditions of the soldiers. Some of the symptoms caused by gas exposure are: irritated skin, throat, lungs, and nose. Doctors and nurses were unable to treat these injuries, and are still unable to treat. Many of the soldiers may be living the rest of their life with these effects.

Typhoid is an illness that resembles Salmonella. This health concern is a result of consuming infected human feces in food and water, as well as poorly cooked meats. Typhoid was caused by the lack of sanitation and poor hygiene in the trenches. Symptoms of typhoid include: rashes and fevers. Treatment were hard to access in trenches, but people suffering from this illness are now able to purchase antibiotics at nearby pharmacies.

Meera Treatments have been found for some of these medical issues, although there are still plenty more unsolved medical complications. This includes gas exposure/ gas related injuries and shell shock. Furthermore, some of these treatments are not very effective. This includes Trench Foot. Researchers and doctors are always performing studies to find a cure for our men, and to help them recover. In some of the most recent studies, doctors have figured out that shell shock is not caused by exposure to exploding shells. Shell shock is caused by the trauma from the war and the horrible conditions our men had to face. Some of these personal symptoms are flashbacks to war times, hearing guns, and hearing bombs. Doctors have also found it convenient for shell shock victims to go to mental health hospital. We have opened up plenty of hospitals for those suffering from shell shock, and our men are recovering at stable rates. We are trying our best to help our men, but these are only small steps. These medical issues will only be on an incline if they are not solved anytime soon.

There are many things that come to play in this situation. The soldiers are affected because of Shell shock and the other medical issues that this war has brought up. Shell shock is causing our soldiers to have major tremors and amnesia which could potentially affect their lives forever, and exposure to gas is affecting our soldier’s physical health conditions.

Trenches were also a big part of causing diseases and infections such as trench foot and trench fever. There was a lot of bacteria in the trenches which caused many men to catch Influenza and intestinal flu. These illnesses were quick to spread which killed more men than the machine guns that the Germans had. Our doctors have been trying to find cures for these medical conditions, but some such as trench foot cannot be cured, however, about 90% of the treatments done to soldiers were successful. Blood transfusions which were replacements for blood loss were done to prevent any soldiers from having their wounds infected and dying. These transfusions do not always have a happy ending but have helped many soldiers get back up on their feet. After the war ended, our doctors brought back medical improvements that we can use to help our Canadian citizens.

Conclusion

Our doctors are improving with every new disease that comes up, however, we still have to find ways we can help with shell shock other than inflicting more pain on them and viewing our soldiers as cowards. Using electricity to help with shell shock could work sometimes but it is not very pleasant for soldiers to go through. There are also the injuries that are made from gas exposure like blisters, asphyxiation, and irritation to the lungs, throat and skin.