Ax Timon, Zimmermann Philipp H, Bothe Tomas L, Barchetti Karen, de Paiva Cintia S, March de Ribot Francesc, Jensen Slade O, Millar Thomas J
School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Department of Ophthalmology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
Front Physiol. 2025 Feb 14;16:1536496. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1536496. eCollection 2025.
Human spaceflight subjects the body to numerous and unique challenges. Astronauts frequently report a sense of sinonasal congestion upon entering microgravity for which the exact pathomechanisms are unknown. However, cephalad fluid shift seems to be its primary cause, with CO levels and environmental irritants playing ancillary roles. Current management focuses on pharmacotherapy comprising oral and nasal decongestants and antihistamines. These are among the most commonly used treatments in astronauts. With longer and more distant space missions on the horizon, there is a need for efficacious and payload-sparing non-pharmacological interventions. Neurostimulation is a promising countermeasure technology for many ailments on Earth. In this paper, we explore the risk factors and current treatment modalities for sinonasal congestion in astronauts, highlight the limitations of existing approaches, and argue for why neurostimulation should be considered.
载人航天使人体面临众多独特的挑战。宇航员经常报告说，进入微重力环境时会有鼻窦充血的感觉，其确切的发病机制尚不清楚。然而，头向体液转移似乎是其主要原因，一氧化碳水平和环境刺激物起辅助作用。目前的治疗重点是药物治疗，包括口服和鼻腔减充血剂以及抗组胺药。这些是宇航员最常用的治疗方法之一。随着更遥远的长期太空任务即将到来，需要有效且节省载荷的非药物干预措施。神经刺激是一种针对地球上许多疾病很有前景的对策技术。在本文中，我们探讨了宇航员鼻窦充血的风险因素和当前的治疗方式，强调了现有方法的局限性，并论证了为何应考虑神经刺激。
