BATTLE CREEK (WKZO-AM) — Officials at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Battle Creek are urging people to curtail firework use around veterans this Independence Day.
Getting through the holiday can be tough for former military members with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Sometimes, those loud sounds or unexpected sounds can trigger PTSD symptoms,” Brian Pegouske, a spokesperson with the hospital, said Friday.
He also said those symptoms range widely.
“Increased anxiety, nightmares, panic attacks — they manifest in a number of different ways,” Pegouske said.
He says people should be cognizant of who is in their neighborhood before celebrating.
It’s estimated that at least 15 percent of veterans have PTSD, Pegouske said.
