Single and repeated high-level blast, low-level blast, and new-onset self-reported health conditions in the U.S. Millennium Cohort Study: An exploratory investigation

Findings suggest that overpressure exposure (including single HLB, repeated HLB, and occupational risk of LLB) may increase the risks of self-reporting clinical diagnoses of PTSD, hearing loss, chronic fatigue syndrome, neuropathy-caused reduced sensation in the hands and feet, depression, vision loss, sinusitis, reflux, and anemia. Furthermore, the combination of HLB and LLB exposure may be associated with greater risk of migraines, PTSD, and impaired fecundity. These findings provide further evidence of the potential adverse consequences associated with overpressure exposure and underscore the necessity of public health surveillance initiatives for blast exposure and/or safety recommendations for training and operational environments.