Long-term internal damage threatens astronauts who have to go on a lengthy space mission. (Image via The Mirror)

Space Threat: Astronaut's blood flow and clots reversed

Alfonsus Adi Putra
Business & Industry
Sci-Tech
Nov 16, 2019
2176
Despite being lonely, stranded in the area without air and noise, an astronaut has to face another threat. A study on Wednesday by NASA showed that a long-term space mission actually takes its toll on their bodies.

The researchers did measurements and ultrasound scans on 11 anonymous astronauts, nine males and two females with the average age of 46, before going to and after coming back from the International Space Station (ISS) who had been in space for a six-month mission.

Of 11 astronauts, six of them showed reverse blood flow. Meanwhile, two astronauts, one male and female, were tested further as one developed blood clot and the other showed potential, dormant blood clot.

The findings were published in the JAMA Network Open journal.

Blood change happens in the left internal jugular vein. The vein circulates the blood from the head when lying down. When standing, the vein stops blood from draining out of the head.

It is common to see reverse blood flow in the left internal jugular vein if there is a blockage in the lower-down parts of the body such as a tumor, growing in the chest.

The two astronauts that showed blood clots and possible blood clots had to take a blood-thinning medicine to break down the clot so that it would not reach their lungs. The finding might urge the female astronauts to reconsider taking contraceptive pills to suppress their menstrual cycle as that might lead to a bigger chance of forming blood clots.

This was the first time NASA researchers seek the long-term damage of long-term space missions after 50 years of spaceflight study. It is one of their agendas to send men to Mars. The research revealed a new fact that might endanger the life of its astronauts.

It is known that a six-month space mission could cost the astronauts their body; loss of bone density and muscle atrophy. Because they are floating in the zero gravity, astronauts will experience loss of blood, weakened immune system, and cardiovascular deconditioning as their hearts don’t pump as much as the time they are on Earth. Even, some astronauts stated that their visions are deteriorating so bad that they needed glasses.

Source: https://cnn.it/374FIgF

Medical , Science , Physiology , Astronomy , Astronaut , Health , NASA