7 Health problems that may arise when diving & bull; hello healthy

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Fantastic panoramic coral reefs, magnificent and eerie shipwrecks, and incredible marine life are the main attractions for diving enthusiasts. But it is important to remember the dangers of scuba diving, as some are potentially life threatening.

Health problems that may arise from diving

1. Barotrauma

Divers usually dive into the ocean by squeezing their nose and blowing air through the ear to push more air into the middle ear.

Barotrauma occurs when a diver fluctuates too quickly while holding his breath, causing gas in the middle ear and lungs to expand very quickly. This is the result of failing to balance the drastic difference in pressure between the body and its surroundings. As a result, divers experience severe ear pain and damage to the ear and lung tissue. These lung injuries can be bad enough to cause lung collapse (pneumothorax). Injury can also allow free air bubbles to escape into the bloodstream. This is called arterial gas embolism. Arterial gas embolism often causes chest pain, difficulty breathing, and neurological problems such as strokes.

2. Vertigo

Vertigo, or the feeling of dizziness or unsteadiness, is one of the serious symptoms of barotrauma. The sensation of the head turning can be dangerous when experienced underwater as it can easily lead to disorientation.

The best way to avoid this dangerous situation in water is not to dive in if you have a headache, chills or unresolved allergies. If this happens, usually treatment of diving-related vertigo involves resting at home, although sometimes headache medication is also needed.

ALSO READ: 4 Effective Moves to Overcome Vertigo

3. Ringing ears (Tinnitus)

Tinnitus is a condition of constant ringing in the ears, and, as with vertigo, if you dive with a headache or other ear problems, you can be at risk for this.

As you descend into the depths of the ocean, water pressure from outside will squeeze the air in the ear canal, causing a sensation of pressure and pain in the head and ears. You must equalize the pressure in this room with a variety of methods, such as pinching your nostrils while gently blowing your nose. If you do this right, you can withstand the increased pressure without a problem. However, sinus congestion caused by a cold, flu, or allergies will interfere with your ability to equalize the pressure and can result in damage to your eardrums.

ALSO READ: 9 Powerful Tricks to Overcome Water-Entering Ears

4. Hypothermia

If you dive in cold water, hypothermia is your main risk. Shivering is your body's response to lower body temperature and is one of the early symptoms of hypothermia; You must end your dive if you start shivering.

The best way to prevent hypothermia - and most of the other health risks associated with scuba diving - is to use the right equipment and dive with a professional guide if you are an inexperienced diver. Wear proper, thick, quality diving clothing and equipment, especially in cold waters. Adequate head cover is also important because the head represents an area of ​​the body that has the potential to lose a lot of body heat.

5. Decompression sickness

Decompression sickness is a medical condition caused by the accumulation of dissolved nitrogen in the body after diving, which then forms air bubbles that block blood flow and the nervous system.

Depending on the amount of nitrogen absorbed and where it is located, cases of decompression can range from joint pain or skin rash to numbness, paralysis and death. The most common signs of severe decompression sickness are dysfunction of the spinal cord, brain, and lungs.

6. Anesthetized by nitrogen

Another danger associated with nitrogen is the narcotic effect of all the extra nitrogen stores in the body. Anyone who has ever had nitric oxide gas anesthesia at a dentist is familiar with this effect. Anesthetizing nitrogen in high concentrations is dangerous because it can damage common sense and sensory perception. As with decompression sickness, the rate of nitrogen anesthesia is related to how deep you dive and how much nitrogen your body absorbs.

7. Oxygen poisoning

Oxygen poisoning is usually only a threat to divers who dives more than 41 meters. Like nitrogen, the body absorbs additional oxygen due to the pressure under water. For most divers this is not a problem, but at extreme depths a lot of extra oxygen is absorbed which becomes toxic. Effects range from tunnel vision (loss of peripheral vision that keeps your eyes focused as if in a tunnel) and nausea to muscle twitching, loss of consciousness, seizures, and drowning.

Oxygen poisoning comes quickly and without warning. The best advice for avoiding oxygen toxicity is to be aware of your depth limits and stick to them.

How common are the medical problems that can result from diving?

Serious medical problems are not uncommon for scuba divers who do so for recreation only. Although there are millions of diving events each year in the United States, only about 90 deaths are reported annually worldwide. In addition, less than 1,000 divers worldwide need recompression therapy to treat severe health problems associated with diving.

ALSO READ: What to Do Before and After Swimming

How can you avoid the health risks of diving?

The deaths and injuries associated with diving are the most serious among novice divers. To be safe, divers must be aware of their physical limits and not push themselves outside the body's tolerance limits.

Other rules to follow:

• Do not attempt to dive if you are not comfortable with your scuba diving location, natural conditions, dive group, or diving equipment. As you go down to the depths, you should try to gently equalize the ear pressure and the mask.
• Do not dive outside the parameters of the stated and / indicated limits on your dive screen.
• Don't hold your breath as you rise above the surface of the water. You should always go up slowly while breathing normally. Air must flow freely in and out of your lungs at all times during your dive.
• Don't panic while diving. If you are confused or scared while diving, stop, try to relax, and think clearly. You can also get help from your dive buddy or guide.

Familiarize yourself with the underwater environment, including the dangers of marine life. Most sea creatures are not aggressive towards divers and the attack rate of wild animals is very rare, accidents do happen and a diver should never forget that he is surrounded by the wild. Learn which fish, corals and other dangerous plants to avoid.

Although there are many risks involved in scuba diving, new divers can minimize the dangers through education and training. The open water certification program emphasizes diving physiology, the dangers of scuba diving, and safe diving practices. A trained diver can enjoy sports safely with minimal health risks.