Visian ICL The Visian ICL logo
Primary Navigation
  • About ICL
  • Why ICL
  • Life With ICL
  • Help Centre
  • Find a Doctor
  • Menu
  • Safety Information
  • in
Close
Looking For Something Specific?
About ICL
  • About ICL
  • Material
  • Requirements
  • Procedure
  • Costs
  • Risks
  • More
Why ICL
  • No Dry Eye
  • Minimally Intrusive
  • Removable
  • Quick Procedure
  • UV Protection
  • Great Results
  • Treatment Range
  • Testimonials
Life With ICL
Help Centre
  • FAQ
  • Contact
  • STAAR® Surgical Company
ICL Blog
More From ICL
  • Advanced Collamer Lens Material
  • Myopia & Hyperopia
  • Glaucoma
  • Cataracts
  • Lasik Surgery Overview
  • Compare ICL
  • PRK Surgery Overview
  • Long Term Contact Use
  • Safety Information
  • 3 Year Results
Contact Safety Information
  • YouTube
  • Vimeo
Find an ICL Doctor
Close

Select Your Region

Europe
  • Austria
  • Belgium - Dutch
  • Belgium - French
  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Portugal
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • United Kingdom
North America
  • Canada
  • Canada - French
  • Mexico
  • United States
Latin America
  • Spanish
  • Portuguese
  • English
North Africa
  • French
  • Arabic
Middle East
  • Middle East عربى
  • Middle East - فارسي
  • Middle East - English
Asia Pacific
  • India
  • Japan - 日本
  • China - 中国
  • S. Korea - 대한민국
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
Select One
View all posts
22.12.2015

Common Eye Problems in Astronauts

22.12.2015 Common Eye Problems in Astronauts
  1. Previous Post
  2. Next Post
Share
  • Facebook 0
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn 0
  • Google+ 0
  • RSS

Every dreamed of being an astronaut? A childhood dream for some, but with all dreams there is a price tag to pay. With extensive training and schooling, astronauts give there mind, body and soul to space. Study’s now show that astronauts living in space can be doomed with health issues, some of which are eye problems. Check out this article by DiscoveryNews.com

Astronauts who spent more than a total of a month in space experienced a variety of issues in the optic nerve and eyeball.

Astronauts who spend a month or more in space commonly experience eye problems. This could become a serious issue during a longer mission to Mars. Brain and eye problems have surfaced in astronauts who spent more than a month in space, marking a potential setback to plans for longer deep space missions, according to a study. The research in the journal Radiology analyzed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 27 astronauts with an average of 108 days in space, either on space shuttle missions or aboard the International Space Station. Shuttle missions typically lasted a couple of weeks, while ISS stints can last more than six months. A Mars mission to bring astronauts to the red planet in the coming decades could last a year and a half.

Among the astronauts who spent more than a month in space over their lifetimes, researchers found a variety of complications that appear similar to a syndrome caused by unexplained pressure on the brain. These symptoms included excess cerebral-spinal fluid around the optic nerve in 33 percent of the astronauts studied and flattening of the back of the eyeball in 22 percent of them. Fifteen percent had a bulging optic nerve and 11 percent showed changes to the pituitary gland — which is located between the optic nerves, secreting sex hormones and regulating the thyroid — and its connection to the brain.

Similar effects, which can lead to problems with vision, have been observed in non-space travelers who suffer from unexplained pressure buildup in the brain, a condition known as intracranial hypertension.

“Microgravity-induced intracranial hypertension represents a hypothetical risk factor and a potential limitation to long-duration space travel,” said lead author Larry Kramer, professor of diagnostic and interventional imaging at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

“The MRI findings revealed various combinations of abnormalities following both short- and long-term cumulative exposure to microgravity also seen with idiopathic intracranial hypertension.”

While bone loss and temporary muscular aches and nerve abnormalities have been known to afflict astronauts in the past, the new data on eye problems has many at NASA concerned about the health of its spaceflight corps.

“NASA has placed this problem high on its list of human risks, has initiated a comprehensive program to study its mechanisms and implications, and will continue to closely monitor the situation,” said William Tarver, chief of the flight medicine clinic at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

He said the findings are suspicious but not conclusive of intracranial hypertension, and said no astronauts have been rendered ineligible for future spaceflight as a result of the findings.

Find an ICL Doctor

Back to Top

Secondary Navigation

  • Testimonials
  • Life With ICL
  • Safety Information
  • ICL Blog
  • Contact
  • © 2021 Staar Surgical. All rights reserved.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • International Sites

Social Navigation

  • YouTube
  • Vimeo
Stay Updated on Visian ICL