Astronauts May Suffer Major Illness Due To Prolonged Space Travel, Claims Study

You will never say no if you get an opportunity to travel in space. Do you know that due to prolonged space travel, astronauts suffer from physical illness or mental illness? According to a new study, apart from losing muscle mass and brittle bones, astronauts can experience blood clots and reversed blood flow in their upper bodies.

In a new study published in the JAMA Network Open, the team of scientists has found that astronauts who spend an extended time in space can experience blood clots and reversed blood flow in their upper bodies.

Scientists analyzed data from periodic ultrasound tests of 11 healthy astronauts who had spent an average of six months aboard the International Space Station and made an upsetting discovery, reported Mashable India.

Seven astronauts, aboard the ISS, by their 50th day, were found to have stagnated or reversed blood flow in their left internal jugular vein. One of the astronauts developed a clot while another was found to have a partial clot in the internal jugular vein.

It is worth mentioning here that the jugular veins are important blood vessels running through the neck that carry deoxygenated blood from the head to the heart. Therefore, the clot will have adverse effects on the health of astronauts. But, scientists and doctors can find a treatment or a prevention method for the complication caused due to microgravity.

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Michael Stenger, the senior author of the study told the NBC News, “We did not expect to see stasis and reverse flow. That is very abnormal. On Earth, you would immediately suspect a massive blockage or a tumor or something like that.”

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