Physicians worry about Sunita Williams’ health
The Starliner crew, including astronauts Williams and Wilmore, are still a few months away from being rescued by Elon Musk’s Dragon capsule in February.
According to pulmonologist Dr. Vinay Gupta of Seattle, recent images show a concerning image that goes beyond the astronauts’ upbeat public persona. “That picture suggests that picture is somebody who I think is experiencing the natural stresses of living at a very high altitude, even in a pressurized cabin, for extended periods of time,” Dr. Gupta told DailyMail.com.
According to Dr. Gupta, astronaut Williams looks to be in a calorie deficit, possibly shedding more calories than she takes in, despite a recent photo showing her eating pizza and munchies.
“Her cheeks look a little sunken, which is typically the result of significant weight loss,” Dr. Gupta continued. Dr. Gupta saw that the astronaut had been eating less for some time because of their drooping cheeks. Their body is presumably expelling more energy to adjust to the lack of gravity and stay warm. Astronauts must exercise for roughly two and a half hours each day to prevent bone and muscle loss in the harsh and frigid environment of space.
He wonders if her present weight is healthy, even though he doesn’t perceive any imminent threat.
This concerning event comes after another NASA crew was recently admitted to the hospital, underscoring the serious health dangers connected to extended spaceflight.
Four NASA employees were admitted to the hospital.
After returning to Earth on November 5, four Crew-8 members who had been on the ISS for more than 200 days were sent for medical evaluation. On October 25, the SpaceX Dragon capsule touched down in Florida. All crew members were taken to the hospital for observation shortly after NASA reported that one astronaut needed medical assistance at first.
After a successful 235-day space journey, Alexander Grebenkin, Jeanette Epps, Michael Barratt, and Matthew Dominick all seemed healthy when they landed. But afterward, they were brought to a nearby hospital as a precaution.This choice was made “out of an abundance of caution,” the agency said, requiring one crew member to remain overnight. due to safety precautions. Although NASA has not yet disclosed the reason for this examination, they stated in a blog post that they will not divulge any private health information in order to protect the crew member’s medical records.
