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In lots of science fiction, people have EVA suits which automatically preform First Aid or administer temporary medical help (such as painkiller injections) so that they can get themselves to a safe, pressurized environment before passing out.

Now I know this isn't the case with current EVA suits but what contingencies are planned for medical emergencies / nuisances on EVA besides getting your EVA partner to bring you back to the airlock (Abort EVA)?

Do you break off the EVA half an hour in if you get a headache? Do the EVA suits have an Aspirin dispenser in the helmet? Has anyone ever vomited into a helmet on EVA? Are there any documented cases of people getting sick on spacewalk?

Note: I'm aware of this question but I'm more interested in minor sickness or illness during spacewalks and not depressurization.

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  • $\begingroup$ Does being temporarily blinded count? $\endgroup$
    – Jörg W Mittag
    Commented Mar 10, 2018 at 9:39
  • $\begingroup$ @JörgWMittag were they blinded by the sun or due to a medical problem? $\endgroup$
    – Dragongeek
    Commented Mar 11, 2018 at 13:12
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    $\begingroup$ It was an eye irritation caused by the anti-fog coating of the inside of the helmet visor. Due to lack of gravity and inability to wipe the face, teh tears caused by the eye irritation accumulated inside the eye, blinding the astronaut first in that eye, then, when so many tears had accumulated that they ran over the ridge if the nose, both eyes. $\endgroup$
    – Jörg W Mittag
    Commented Mar 11, 2018 at 18:48

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Lots there.

  1. Do you break off the EVA half an hour in if you get a headache?

No.

  1. Do the EVA suits have an Aspirin dispenser in the helmet?

No.

  1. Has anyone ever vomited into a helmet on EVA?

No. (at least NASA astronauts). Nausea is a huge no-go, and has resulted in cancellation of EVAs.

  1. Are there any documented cases of people getting sick on spacewalk?

US medical privacy laws make this a difficult one to answer.

As it says in the question that you linked, if the situation is so bad that the EVA crewperson cannot work effectively, there is nothing to be done except to abort the EVA and return to the vehicle.

For the official rules concerning crew health (for shuttle, ISS rules haven't been published AFAIK) you can read the Aeromedical flight rules, EVA section, in this document.

enter image description here

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