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Originally Posted by Jens
The reason you black out during high g's is because the blood either leaves your head. So lying on your back makes it much harder to black out.
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And hydrating, and g-suits and training and, potentially, drugs.
Science@NASA: When Space Makes You Dizzy
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For many years astronauts have tried to counteract orthostatic hypotension by drinking lots of salt water, which increases the volume of bodily fluids.(There is a general loss of body fluids during space missions.) Astronauts also wear "G-suits" -- rubberized full-body suits that can be inflated with air. This action squeezes the extremities and raises blood pressure.
Such countermeasures are only partially effective. "Almost all returning astronauts experience changes in gait and balance," continues Williams. Nevertheless, "most are able to walk around just fine. A small number experience orthostatic changes that render them quite dizzy."
An anti-dizzy pill would be helpful, but until recently there was no such thing.
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