Abstract
Some medical details were already mentioned in previous chapters, but now it is time to get a systematic overview of an exciting field that is essential for the survival of spacefarers. Many body functions and adaptation processes in space are unlike what we know from Earth and often counter-intuitive. When planning a spaceflight, medical aspects should not be neglected. Strong G-forces at start and landing, weightlessness, isolation and exposure to a misanthropic environment lead to a number of changes in the human body. These may cause symptoms and diseases, or sometimes even have consequences for health later in life. This chapter is meant to prepare for these problems and serves to make spaceflight candidates aware of signs and symptoms. It helps to be ready for issues like the elongation of the spine by 5 cm and more, to recognise G-measles, to know what to do in case of space sickness and which symptoms typically show up when the air composition is not right.
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Ganse, B., Ganse, U. (2020). Space Medicine. In: The Spacefarer's Handbook. Springer Praxis Books(). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-61702-1_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-61702-1_5
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