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It might not be anything that affects the day to day lives of the general public and as such is something that the average person will never have to worry about in his or her lifetime, but a recent study on the effects of space travel has shown some interesting finds, especially in regards to the human eye, as well as sight itself.
The research, conducted by NASA themselves, followed on from ongoing studies into the effects of space travel on its astronauts. Upon re-entry to the Earth, astronauts undergo a rigorous debriefing in both a military and medical nature. Although space travel has been possible to some degree since the 1950's, scientists are still to learn many effects that exposure to such conditions can cause. One such complaint amongst those fortunate enough to have experienced such adventures is that of blurred vision, with difficulties beginning during missions and in some cases long after they have returned to Earth.
With experts, including a number of ophthalmologists, agreeing that the cause of this was unlikely to be due to the physical exertions when launching or re-entering Earth's atmosphere, the finger appears to be pointed squarely at the time period astronauts actually spent in space. Complaints varied in intensity from person to person, however, all symptoms were generally noted as beginning around 1-2 months into the missions. The astronauts studied had all spent at least six months in space at any one time. Upon examination, numerous abnormalities were noted in the majority of astronauts tested including a flattening in the back of the eye itself and a swelling of the optic nerve.