According to science journalist Michael Fumento, the following symptoms are said to have been caused by the mysterious "Gulf War Syndrome": aching muscles, aching joints, abdominal pain, facial pain, chest pain, blood clots, flushing, night sweats, blurry vision, photosensitivity, jaundice, bruising, shaking, fevers, sinus growths, irritability, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, weight loss, weight gain, loss of appetite, heartburn, nausea, vomiting (one veteran's vomit allegedly glowed in the dark), bad breath, hair loss, graying hair, rashes, sore throat, heart disease, diverticulitis and other intestinal disorders, kidney stones, a growth in the eye, tingling and itching sensations, sore gums, cough, cancer, diarrhea with and without bleeding (including one case that allegedly caused spinal damage), constipation, testicular pain, edididymitis, unspecified swelling, "early Alzheimer's" disease, dizziness, inability to concentrate, choking sensation, depression, lightheadedness, hot and cold flashes, labored breathing, sneezing, sensitive teeth and other dental problems, lupus (an autoimmune disease), neurological disorders, a deadly "softening of the brain matter," miscarriage, birth defects (including, according to one badly educated Army nurse, a case of "congenital cataracts, which [my daughter] did not have before my return from the Gulf"), nasal congestion, bronchitis, leg cramps, twitching, paralysis, hemorrhoids, thyroid problems, welts, rectal and vaginal bleeding, vaginal blistering following contact with veterans' semen, colon polyps, increased urination, a "bulging disk" in the neck, hypertension, blood in urine, insomnia, headaches, and "a foot fungus that will not go away."

Five independent studies, including two published in the New England Journal of Medicine, concluded that there was no evidence a "Gulf War Syndrome" exists. Persian Gulf veterans' rate of death and hospitalization from disease was roughly the same as that of other soldiers, and considerably less than that of the civilian population. The Gulf War soldiers did have a slightly higher death rate overall, but this was due almost entirely to car wrecks. According to the Institute of Medicine, the only adverse physical consequences linked with Gulf War service not directly related to combat were about 30 documented incidents of leishmaniasis, a parasitical disease caused by sand fly bites.

Within days of the release of the final report of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses, which also found no scientific basis for a "Gulf War Syndrome," President Clinton announced a doubling of the budget to investigate the phenomena. The President also later appointed another panel consisting of five members and chaired by former Senator Warren Rudman (R-NH), who announced that he intended to meet with veterans' groups but signaled no corresponding intention to meet with doctors and scientists.

Proponents of the Gulf War Syndrome theory point to a number of possible causes for the malady, including nerve gas, anthrax, pills, vaccinations, depleted uranium in shells and tank armor, burning oil, burning kerosene from lamps, fresh lead paint applied to vehicles, a bacterium that is normally harmless, insecticides, and Scud missile fuel.

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