Diver Life: Understanding The Long Term Effects Of SCUBA Diving

If you’ve been diving your whole life, you are probably quite aware of the ways in which diving can affect the body long-term; if you’re newer to the sport, as a growing number of people are, you may be a little less aware of the long term effects of SCUBA diving. We’re not presenting this information in an attempt to frighten you; instead, we’d like to highlight the importance of acquiring appropriate training, using the right equipment, and not taking the kinds of risks that lead to mistakes that cause irreparable harm to the body. 

Why Science is Divided

The scientific community is divided into several camps about the effects diving has on the body, mostly because researching divers and the effects of diving is notoriously difficult. There are a few reasons for this: 

• It’s difficult for scientists to find a group of divers with similar backgrounds in order conduct empirical research. 

• Some divers have pre-existing medical conditions that could cause resultant data to be skewed or completely incorrect.

• Diving has gained popularity only recently in the big scheme of things, with the largest increases having taken place in the last 25 to 30 years. 

For these reasons, you’ll find quite a few theories about long-term diving effects. Even so, there are several effects which have conclusively been proven to be related to a lifetime spent underwater, particularly in instances where seasoned divers have taken repeated risks.

Dysbaric Osteonecrosis

Osteonecrosis involves the death of fragile bone tissue inside the ears. It happens when divers fail to take enough decompression time after spending time at depth. Dysbaric Osteonecrosis is actually a form of DCS in that it is caused by excessive nitrogen load in the blood stream. When bubbles form in the ears, particularly if it happens over and over again, the following issues arise: 

• Thinning of cartilage inside ears
• Death of bone, bone does not repair itself
• Death of bone with some repair; no bone collapse
• Death of bone with some repair; bone collapses 
• Secondary stage arthritis

Experts in barotrauma have debated that factors other than DCS can lead to Dysbaric Osteonecrosis, including fat embolization and hemoconcentration. Whatever the root cause, approximately 50% of divers studied showed symptoms of some degree of the problem. 

Hearing Loss

Many divers admit to suffering some hearing loss, and it’s commonly believed that divers really are prone to succumbing to a certain degree of deafness. The reason? Barotrauma. Since we dive in high-pressure environments and the air-filled spaces within our bodies compress at depth and expand as we surface, tissue damage can occur with relative ease. Any slow onset of deafness without any obvious cause is normally considered to be a long-term effect of diving. For professional commercial divers, hearing loss is an occupational hazard which can happen for other reasons, including the loud noises of gas entering compression chambers, circulating gas inside helmets, noisy underwater tools, and even rare underwater explosions. 

Decreased Pulmonary Function 

Although most divers are in good physical condition simply because one must be in good shape in order to really enjoy SCUBA diving, there’s a tendency for the lungs to suffer in some cases. Frequent exposure to compressed air and breathing mixtures can lead to narrowing in the smallest airways within the lungs, although major structures are not normally affected. Exposure to high pressure environments without appropriate decompression can also lead to decreased pulmonary function.  

Dental Problems

Each tooth inside your mouth has a tiny air chamber inside, and if you have any kind of dental work, there are likely to be other spaces that contain minute amounts of air. Exposure to high pressure without proper decompression can lead to dental pain, and in some cases, just being at depth can cause problems; fillings may come loose, cavities may become painful, and dentures can move inside the mouth. 

Another dental problem divers face is a condition called “regulator mouth.” This problem involves muscle pain which is caused by disused jaw muscles becoming overtired. It normally happens on vacations, and it typically happens only to divers who are not accustomed to using regulators on a regular basis. To prevent this problem, give your jaw muscles regular workouts with your regulator during the “off season” – otherwise, your dive holiday may be spoiled by discomfort. 

Neurological Problems

If you guessed that most neurological problems affecting the brain, spinal cord, and functions these structures control in divers are caused by decompression sickness, you guessed correctly. Issues surrounding decompression have been found to contribute to or cause between 70% and 80% of neurological complaints in divers.  

DCS which has been left untreated or which has been overtreated is believed to have an adverse effect on the neurological system. A prior history of neurological issues shouldn’t necessarily prevent you from diving, but if you have a history, you should know that some problems are worsened by diving; these include cerebral palsy, attention deficit disorder, cerebral vascular injury, epilepsy, and seizures not categorized as epileptic. 

The nitrogen bubbles which form as the result of insufficient decompression are at the root of neurological problems related to diving. While there is not much research available on this cause and effect relationship, it’s safe to say that ensuring you take extra care in carrying out decompression requirements can help to prevent these problems from developing.  

Liver Changes

Exposure to high pressure environments can affect the body’s hormones. For example, blood thyroid hormone level can vary, and thyroxin and reverse triiodothyronine levels can become elevated during periods of sustained compression. In addition to these changes, there are six other glycoprotein levels which can be affected during dives at high pressure. As hormones can affect the liver, the potential for liver damage does exist, however documented cases are few and far between. 

It’s important to note that it’s not the amount of time you spend SCUBA diving that contributes to most of these problems; instead, it is the effects of intense pressure and improper decompression that can cause health problems to manifest over time. As diving continues to become more popular, research will improve; for now, avoiding risky behavior is your best insurance against succumbing to the long-term effects of diving.