BRAIN TRAUMA
More than 100 US troops suffered traumatic brain injuries in Iran strike after Trump said no one ‘seriously hurt’
MORE than 100 US troops reportedly suffered traumatic brain injuries in Iran's missile strike - after Trump said no one was "seriously hurt."
The US military experienced over a 50 percent after the missile attack on the Ain al-Asad military base last month, according to .
The president from the strike on January 8, insisting they were "trauma headaches."
But the Pentagon released a statement on Monday confirming 109 US troops were diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury, according to .
Reuters stated 76 of the service members diagnosed with the condition have returned to duty.
Pentagon press secretary Alyssa Farah said: "We are grateful to the efforts of our medical professionals who have worked diligently to ensure the appropriate level of care for our service members."
SURGE IN INJURIES
"[This] has enabled nearly 70 percent of those diagnosed to return to duty," Farah continued. "We must continue to address physical and mental health together.
"Our research has been instrumental in the development of various breakthroughs to improve the lives of those individuals who have sustained brain injuries.
"Our efforts must address the total picture - before, during and after any blast exposure or injury.
"This is a snapshot in time and numbers can change. We will continue to provide updates as they become available."
CNN reported around 200 people who were in the bomb zone at the time of the attack were screened for TBI symptoms.
MORE DIAGNOSED
Initially, Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said 34 troops have been diagnosed, but that figure has since soared.
They then released a statement confirming 50 US soldiers had been.
No US service members were killed or immediately physically injured the when the Irianian military attacked the base in Iraq.
The shocking move was revenge for the US gunning down Revolutionary Guard General in a Baghdad drone strike on Janaury 3.
Ten missiles hit the airbase housing US troops, one missile hit a US military base in Erbil, and four missiles failed to hit their targets.
EVACUATION
Troops caught up in the mayhem were medically evacuated to US military hospitals in Germany and Kuwait to be treated for their injuries.
The missile strikes were part of the escalating violence and tensions in the Middle East since December.
Reports indicate the mounting TBI injuries could put pressure on the Trump administration to respond.
Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the service members suffering from traumatic brain injuries had mild cases.
But Milley explained these diagnoses of concussive injuries could change over time at a news briefing in January.
'HEADACHES'
After the first reports that some soldiers had been hurt, insisted America "suffered no casualties" from the attack.
Trump likened TBI injuries to headaches, saying they weren't that serious.
"I heard that they had headaches. And a couple of other things," Trump said. "But I would say, and I can report, it is not very serious.”
Almost 3 million TBI-related emergency room visits, hospitalizations and deaths were reported in the US in 2014, according to the CDC.
Symptoms of traumatic brain injury include headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light and nausea.
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Complications can lead to seizures, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and cranial nerve injuries, according to .
This sort of injury can also result in depression, PSTD, anxiety, OCD, and other psychiatric complications.
Pentagon data indicates since 2000, approximately 408,000 service members were diagnosed with traumatic brain injury.
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