[FPSPACE] Cosmonaut Going Blind From Space Radiation

[Richard J. Bourgeois, MD (N5RY)]

Having been an Eye Surgeon for the past 30 years I have seen the exact 
same thing in many people who have never ventured into space.  His 
symptoms are typical of cataracts in younger people and although I have 
seen this type of change in post radiation treatments, it also presents 
following long term steroid use, diabetes, chemotherapy, trauma and 
often for undetermined causes.  It is very difficult to establish a true 
cause and effect.  Granted, since radiation has a cumulative effect the 
additional exposure acquired by 221 days above most of the Earth's 
atmosphere added to his lifetime exposure, another 20 years of sea level 
solar radiation exposure may have had the same effect.  One could just 
as easily conclude that a career commercial pilot flying at 30,000 feet 
regularly should have a higher incidence but to date the data to support 
this are just not there.  It would be a nice research project and I am 
sure somewhere one is in progress.
RBourgeoisMD



Keith Gottschalk wrote:
> Yes,
>    
>   I am told by a Moscow friend that Pravda & Izvestia are today tabloid newspapers; no link to the current Russian Communist Party nor Government.  - Keith
>
>   
>>>> <Kosmos327 at aol.com> 12/18/08 2:04 PM >>>
>>>>         
>  
> Putting aside the fact that this is very poorly written, and that Lebedev  
> seems to be "self diagnosing" in this story, is this even possible? Or  is 
> "Pravda" now Russia's equivalent to the "National Enquirer"?
>  
> David L. Rickman
>  
>  
> In a message dated 12/18/2008 5:52:34 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
> spaceflightnews at gmail.com writes:
>
> Renowned cosmonaut Valentin Lebedev, who set the absolute record for his  
> stay in Earth's orbit, loses his eyesight speedily.  
> "I suffered from a lot of radiation in space. It was all concealed back  
> then, during the Soviet years, but now I can say that I caused damage to my  
> health because of that flight," the legendary pilot said.  
> The cosmonaut, who spent 221 days in the orbit in 1982, has progressive  
> cataract. The legend of the Soviet space exploration becomes blind. Moscow's  best 
> ophthalmologists examined the 66-year-old cosmonaut, but they only say  that 
> it is * 
> _http://newsfromrussia.com/science/earth/17-12-2008/106841-soviet_cosmonaut-0_
>  
> (http://newsfromrussia.com/science/earth/17-12-2008/106841-soviet_cosmonaut-0) 
>
>
>  
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