Do you ever wonder what happens to the human body when it's in outer space? There are several different factors to consider, and research says that an astronaut's immune system is actually affected during space travel.
Immune Systems Weakned in Space
Researchers took a look at the effects of staying in outer space on the human body. As it turns out, it actually weakens the immune system. The study involved 14 astronauts who stayed in the International Space Station (ISS) for long periods of time.
The study was led by Odette Laneuville, a molecular biologist from the University of Ottawa in Canada. Blood samples were taken from the astronauts from the Canadian Space Agency and NASA before, during, and after the space flight.
It was determined that the changes lie with the gene expression in the leukocytes or the white blood cells. A significant decrease in the blood cell is found once the astronauts reach space, dropping up to one-third of the normal level, as mentioned in Interesting Engineering.
The decline in leukocytes started within the first few days in space. According to the study's co-author Guy Trudel, leukocytes are very sensitive to the environment of space, explaining that they trade their specialized immune functions to take care of cell maintenance or housekeeping roles."
The shift in gene expression was believed to be due to something called "fluid shift," which is caused by the lack of Earth's gravitational pull, leading to the redistribution of blood from the lower to the upper part of the body.
With that being said, the astronauts going back to Earth corrects the anomaly. The genes gradually return to normal within a month's time or more. This means that the decline in white blood cells after traveling to space is not permanent, thankfully.
Although, the change in an astronaut's immune system is still a topic of concern, especially since space missions can sometimes take months before they return back to Earth. Given that they are in space, a simple sickness can easily turn bad.
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Health Risks for Astronauts
Saying that it's dangerous for an astronaut to be sick in space is an understatement. For one, an astronaut getting an infectious disease could become widespread, especially since the crew sometimes works together in a small confined space.
When an astronaut gets sick, they will rely on their training, other crew members, medical supplies, and the medicine available on board, as mentioned in WTSP. There are also manuals and a flight surgeon assigned to each crew in space.
NASA has "smart medical systems" which help doctors check and diagnose patients from outer space. They will also be able to provide treatment options using the available materials and medicine where the astronauts are.
The very dangerous situation comes when the available treatment options are not working and the crew member is in need of hospital care, especially since the nearest hospital is on Earth, and transportation is not as easy as hailing a taxi or riding the bus.
