Working out of space can be harmful to the eyes

Recent research by NASA (US Aeronautics and Space Agency) shows that working in space can harm the eyes, reducing astronaut vision.

The study was conducted with more than 300 astronauts in the US space program. As a result, nearly 50% of those on long-term missions in space, returning to Earth have vision problems when looking at nearby objects.

Astronauts work outside ISS

The researchers also had physical tests with seven male astronauts, who had complaints about their eyesight after 6 months in the universe. The results showed that the astronauts had some signs of eye strain, including accumulation of fluid around the optic nerve; developing blood vessels folds that supply blood to the retina; eyeballs tend to loosen, flatten out.

According to ophthalmologist Dr. Tom Mader, who led the study, the cause of this situation cannot be clearly determined. But he made some hypotheses, in which the main thing is that in outer space, the body does not have to be gravitational, which causes the pressure around the optic nerve to skyrocket, causing damage to the range. look.

Another hypothesis may be due to an increase in the pressure of the fluid around the brain, the result of not being gravitationally so these fluids cannot be drained inside the body.

A small number of those surveyed said they had visual problems right in space (6.6% of those on short assignments and 12% on duty for 6 months) .

NASA is continuing its research, including on the International Space Station (ISS), to determine the cause, the effects that affect people's vision when working in the universe.

Previous studies have demonstrated that working in space affects the mass of bones and muscles of astronauts when they return to Earth.

However, David Robertson, who runs the Center for Physiology and Space Medicine, Vanderbilt Medical University (Nashville, USA), said that so far, studies still show no harmful effects. Long for human health when working long term in space.

Tasks in long-term space may require at least 2.5 to 3 years. However, no one has experienced such a long and continuous working time. The record of the longest working time in space is Valeri Polyakov, with 437.7 days (in 1994 and 1995), on the Russian spacecraft Mir.