Photo by UnitedHealthcare
By Don Stangler, MD
Chief Medical Officer, UnitedHealthcare of New York
HEALTH - Veteran’s Day is a time to express our gratitude to the women and men who have proudly served in the military to preserve our freedoms. For many Americans, the holiday can mean a parade down Main Street or a day of shopping Veteran’s Day sales, but for millions of veterans it can be another day struggling with a serious health issue tied to their service.
While there are more than 18 million U.S. veterans approximately 200,000 leave active duty each year. The irony of veteran health is that upon entering service, most are at the peak of health and fitness; however, after leaving the service some veterans can face a myriad of health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI), musculoskeletal injuries, mental health challenges, and illnesses as a result of environmental exposure.
Veteran health issues are complex and they are driven by many factors including age, race, gender, if the veteran saw combat or not, the geographic location where the veteran served, and the conflict itself. For example, according to the U.S. Census, 2019 American Community Survey, those who served in the past 20 years, post 9/11, have a 43 percent chance of having a disability connected to their time in the military.
Veteran statistics on PTSD vary based on the era in which the veteran may have served. Eleven to 20 percent of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom have PTSD in a given year, Gulf War veterans, 12 percent, and it’s estimated as high as 30 percent of Vietnam veterans have had PTSD in their lifetime.
Each veteran’s health profile is unique and working as a team with the individual, health care providers can devise a strategy to meet the patient’s health needs. To help veterans live their best lives and improve their health we take an approach of healthy living practices and prevention. The U.S. Veterans Administration offers the following evidence-based recommendations:
Get high quality sleep each night and seeking help for sleep difficulties.
Keeping your recommended screenings and immunizations up to date.
Being active in your health care and working with your healthcare team to meet your specific needs.
Managing stress.
Cutting out tobacco use.
Limit alcohol use*.
Taking measures to protect yourself and family from harm and injury, including self-harm or domestic abuse.
Maintaining a healthy weight and eating right.
Staying physically active.**
Veterans Day is a day to honor those who answered the call, and it can also be used as a reminder to our veterans that help is out there whether their wounds are physical or in the form of mental health challenges, or both.
If you are a veteran or take care of someone who served, it’s important to take an active role in your health with your health care provider.***
To reach a trained crisis counselor, call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). You may also text 988 or chat at 988.lifeline.org. The lifeline provides 24/7 free and confidential support.****
* OPTUM DISCLAIMER: If you do not drink, it is not recommended that you start drinking alcohol. If you choose to drink, do so only in moderation.
Drinking too much can harm your health.
** OPTUM DISCLAIMER: Talk with your doctor before significantly increasing your activity level. Ask about the amounts and types of activities that may be best for you.
*** OPTUM DISCLAIMER: If you have thoughts of hurting yourself or others — or you know someone having those thoughts — seek help right away. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911 — or go to the closest emergency room.
**** The Lifeline provides live crisis center phone services in English and Spanish and uses Language Line Solutions to provide translation services in over 250 additional languages for people who call 988.
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