Fitness After 9 To 5 Job: Best Evening Workouts For Tired Professionals
Fitness After 9 To 5 Job: Best Evening Workouts For Tired Professionals (Image Credits: iStock) Afte...
Read More
Spending a lot of time in microgravity can be brutal on both Barry Wilmore and Sunita William's mental and physical health (Pic: NASA/Instagram)
The mission that NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore took to space lasted far longer than originally planned. The two, who went on board the Boeing Starliner Calypso on June 5, 2024, returned after completing 288 days or nine months instead of just eight days on the International Space Station (ISS).
According to experts, space travel, whether for the short term or a long time, can pose significant risks to both physical and mental health. And for both Williams and Wilmore, there are going to be tough challenges when it comes to their well-being.
What effect does living in space have on the human body?
Experts say spending a lot of time in microgravity can be brutal on the body. Without the Earth’s gravitational pull, the body can suffer immensely from shrinking muscles, and weak bones as the bodily fluids shift.
Astronauts also lose muscle mass rapidly since they do not use their legs to support their weight in space. Doctors say due to this, their bones become fragile and even lose 1 per cent of their bone mass per month, which is equivalent to an entire year of ageing on Earth.
Radiation increases the risk of cancer
According to experts, exposure to radiation is a major concern for astronauts in space. Even though the ISS is shielded by Earth’s magnetosphere, astronauts on missions that extend to more than six months receive more than ten times the radiation that naturally occurs on Earth.
And so, prolonged exposure is linked to higher cancer risks and potential cognitive decline.
How do your body parts get affected in space?
Body mass and fluids
According to NASA, astronauts lose around 20 per cent of their body fluids and about 5 per cent of their body mass when they are in space.
Muscle loss
Microgravity in space leads to muscle atrophy
Skin
The skin of astronauts may become thin and could tear easily with the slightest itching.
Eyes
Spce microgravity can impair vision, and radiation increases the risk of cataract.
Psychosomatics
According to doctors, radiation leads to slow brain damage and can speed up the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Space stay can also disrupt orientation, which leads to severe motion sickness or vertigo.
Heart health
Extended and prolonged stays in space can slow down breathing and the production of red blood cells, which can lead to cardiac arrhythmia.
Immunity levels
Space stay also weakens the immune system due to radiation exposure.
Skeletal health
Doctors say space stay also deforms the skeletal system, causing bone loss by at least one per cent every month. Astronauts become taller because their spines expand while in orbit.
Does the body recover once back on Earth?
Experts say even after returning to Earth, the human body does not immediately come back to the original, as both physical and mental strain of months can be damaging.
Even as the astronaut’s bodies begin to readjust to gravity, they experience issues like:
- Balance problems
- Dizziness
- sleeplessness
- Weakened and slow cardiovascular function
Most astronauts may also face long-term health risks, including cancer, nerve damage, and degenerative diseases. Doctors say the immunity of astronauts may return to normal levels at least two weeks after they return, with their bodies beginning to rehydrate and production of red blood cells becoming normal.
A month later, the muscle reformation also becomes complete and near pre-flight levels and the skin redevelopment starts. However, the risk of bone fractures remains for at least six more months.
Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Health and around the world.
Our Blog
Read Our Latest Blog
Feeling Anxious? This Ancient Sound Therapy Is All Your Brain Needs To Calm Down
Feeling Anxious? This Ancient Sound Therapy Is All Your Brain Needs To Calm Down (Image Credits: iSt...
Read More