How Aerial Travel and Cabin Pressure Adversely Affects the Human Body Essay

The idea of humans traveling to the Moon or other argonas out side of the human beingss orbit is mostly scientific. However, when astronauts remain in station, having to re- oddment the organic structure to suit less or no gravity compared to the Earth could bring about many changes to the dust. Scientists have found that the time required for retrieval depends on the time spent in vigour-gravity conditions. The considerableer champion stays off of the Earths surface, the more victimize put up be ca utilize. Strictly speaking, even a trip in an carpenters plane would require safety precautions to minimize damage to the body of this. For example, cabin pressure increased to maintain balance and celebrate feeling different to a lower pressure. This essay result consist of two sections. The graduation will be of flight do within the Earths hemisphere, and how to perhaps prevent damage to the body. The second, and longer section deals with space travel through Zero-gravity and effects of high spirits on the body and the counter-measures to prevent damage to the body.Section 1, flight effects on the passengers, specific completelyy dealing with cabin pressureAirplanes go away at the cruising altitude of around 33000 feet, or approximately 10000 meters. Because the cruising altitude has a cabin pressure lower than air pressure on ground or even under sea-level, the oxygen availability is less and gases within the body expand. This causes the oxygen saturation level of the relationship to reduce, which erect organize to mild hypoxia, the reduced supply of oxygen to the tissues around the body. Due to the effects of hypoxia, alcohol consumption would strike the star much more than it would on Earth.As the aircraft makes its decent back to Earth, air moldiness be allowed to flow into the middle of the ear to equalize pressure differences. Passengers often can feel this change in air pressure. People with ear, lift and sinus infections are usually advised to avoid flying because of these changes in air pressure.Air travel in airplanes has less thank 20% humidity. This causes discomfort to the eyes, mouth and nose exclusively does non risk the passengers health. This discomfort can be prevented by imbibition liquids (water recommended) before and during the flight, and using skin moisturizers. Also passengers with short-sightedness or long-sightedness are advised to wear eye-glasses or else than pass on lenses during flight as the contact lenses whitethorn dry out. In order to avoid de-hydration, passengers should drink non- cloudburst beverages.Section 2, how traveling through space affects humansAstronauts often experience Zero- Gravity during their travels through space. This nada gravity or little gravity can bring about health concern to the body if astronauts remain in space for a long period of time. It would be much healthier for bunchs to anticipate under artificial gravity.In order to prevent any biologica l changes in the body when experiencing zero gravity, scientists recommend a force of artificial gravity equal to a third of the Earths level of gravity. However, scientists still havent research affects of artificial gravity on humans but they know for a fact and there is an imbalance in the body cod to the shifts of gravity levels. stylised gravity prevents physiological changes from occurring. In zero-gravity, the body deteriorates.It takes less muscle to move around, so after a long period of time in space, muscles weaken so the body bends. Because there is no tension in space, muscles relax and after a while they atrophy as a result of disuse and eventually disappear. To prevent the fracture of bones, limbs and muscles, all space shuttles give the opportunity for astronauts to do rigorous make out everyday to keep the muscles tender.Staying in Zero-gravity for months causes bones to lose mass and get th privileged, as they are not carrying any weight. This means astronaut s must go through rigorous trainings in the spacecraft everyday in order to keep muscle and bone strength. When a great deal of the crews rare time in space is spent exercising rather than doing science, coin and potential knowledge are being squandered for the sake of health. It is a sacrifice, but a necessary one1In space, receptors in the inner ear allow humans to sense direction. In space, ear receptors dont receive the aforementioned(prenominal) cues and the mind gets used to ignoring the inner ears feelings about balance. Hand-eye coordination, posture and balance are all affected by the disorientation of the mind. When astronauts return to humanity, they are often overwhelmed by dizziness and have bother in maintaining balance. An example of the mind adapting to the new gravity less surroundings would be with Shannon Lucid, who was on calling card the Russian space Station MIR for six months. The astronaut said You just sort of get used to floating around but we also kn ow that floating around is not all that astronauts do- they must resist the effects of micro gravity on the body.Also, no gravity means no metro from growing, so some astronauts return to earth some 6 inches taller than when they left. It is only after a some months that they grow down/ shrink back to normal height. This is because of the unloading of spinal discs- because of lack of gravity, the discs in the guts are not holding up or don anything, so they tend to stretch rather than contract.Traveling through micro gravity causes bodily fluids to shift from the lower body to the cephalic bailiwick (head), and so peoples faces tend to swell and become rounder than they are on earth. When the brain senses a higher amount of blood than usual, it interprets the situation that there is now an overall increase in the total volume of fluids in the body. The brain responds by triggering the excretion of fluids, making astronauts prone to dehydration. Also, the fluid redistribution can shrink legs as the bones are weaker. These fluids pass through the kidneys, causation kidney filtration rate to increase, bone red ink can cause Kidney stones. Fluids that leave the body include calcium loss and bone demineralization. The loss of blood plasma causes temporary Anemia upon the return to Earth. Some crew members get space anemia. Scientists are implicated about the affects of catching this disease on over all crew performance. Blood volume may decrease by 10 percent.The increase of fluids in the head causes the same feeling as when one has a cold and feels blocked in. in space astronauts begin to lose their sense of taste, causing the proneness for strong flavorings in the food such as horseradish, mustard and taco sauce. Fluid loss, lack of dress and diminished appetite cause weight loss as astronauts tend not to eat as much as they would on earth. Meals and exercise are planned to prevent excessive loss.Zero-gravity affects the cardio-vascular outline. On eart h we must cope with gravity, which sustains or slows down the blood-flow. In zero gravity, there is no gravity force, causing the heart to slow down due to the decreased demands of blood as it travels more freely.The immune system in the body is also affected by weightlessness. In space, one is candid to illness as the immune response lowers and numbers of anti-bodies decrease after a long exposure to micro gravity. near half of all astronauts are affected by this unpleasant syndrome which affects nausea, headache, lethargy and sweating (taken from NASA sources). Also, minor effects of weightlessness on the body include puffiness in the face, flatulence, weight loss, nasal congestion and often dormancy disturbances.Upon returning to earth, recovery time depends on the duration of stay in space. Muscles are weak and the body is not used to gravity forces, (causing them to feel dizzy) and so some astronauts are taken back in stretchers. This shows why astronauts need to be at the pe ak of fitness.If in the near future the human turn tail would build space stations as tourist resorts, some would prefer hotels with zero-gravity and some would want uncomplete gravity, which would bring about competition like hotels on earth, which would drive prices low. As gravity affects all biological, bodily and chemical processes on earth, building an International Space Station gives new opportunity to study a world without gravity and its affect on animals and other living organisms. Observing the weightlessness effect on these living organisms could teach scientists about biological processes on earth, such as aging and osteoporosis.In the end, we can see that human travel through space is safer under artificial gravity when compared to astronauts being exposed to weightlessness, micro gravity or zero gravity (all three mean the same). Most of the problems mentioned such as fluid loss and muscle deterioration would not cause problems as long as the crew remained in a we ightless environment. Remaining in a zero-gravity environment for over a long period of time could cause problems, however. In 1987, in the later stages of his 326-day mission, Russian Yuri Romanenko was fatigued both physically and mentally due to traveling through space. The majority of his day was spent sleeping regaining strength, in the meantime his bones were deteriorating. Some say if many like Romanenko stayed in space for much longer, he may not have survived re-entry to the Earth. Returning to Earth could cause problems as the body is much weaker due to demineralization and atrophy of the bones and shortage of red blood cells. Ones balance must now again be readjusted causing many astronauts to feel dizzy when back to a strong g force gravity on earth.Whether or not the large amount of time and money spent on keeping astronauts fit during space flight is worth the scientific findings is debatable. Physiological effects need to be prevented as much a possible. Again, this i s usually prevented by rigorous exercise and micro gravity could still be a danger to the astronauts health. Many scientists believe that the benefits of transporting/ displace out machines (robots) and humans to space, despite the health issues, are nothing compared to the huge benefit that society will receive. Humans will not be perfectly suited to living in a weightless environment, but that wont stop Astrobiologists and many other research firms like NASA from exploring space. The many benefits of space exploration such as technological knowledge and inspiration easily outweigh the negative aspects.BibliographySources were from Newspapers, CDs, meshing sites and a large extract of a book in one of the web-pages. Most web sites accessed on the 11th December 2003 and 9th January 2004.1) http//library.thinkquest.org/C003763/index.php?page=adapt022) www.permanent.com/s-nograv.htm3) http//library.thinkquest.org/C003763/index.php%3fpage=adapt024) www.spacefuture.com/habitat/zerog.sh tml5) http//mos.org/cst/article/77/6.html6) http//school.discovery.com/schooladventures/spacestation/basics/why.html7) www.relaxincomfort.com/zerogravity_benefits.html8) http//experts.about.com/q/2540/2677459.htm9) www.uclas.ac.uk/facs/science/physastr/courses/space/ssyear1/sc1201.htm10) http//www.who.int/ith/chapter02_01.html11) Definitions from Microsoft Encarta 2003 bounteousness Suite CD12) http//library.thinkquest.org/2606/Environmental_problems/water_pollution_-_effects.html (used for first idea of project)1 http//library.thinkquest.org/C003763/index.php%3fpage=adapt02