Nitrogen narcosis during diving, how to solve it?

For lovers of the underwater world, scuba diving is the most popular sport. In addition to enjoying the beauty of nature and marine life, scuba diving also has health benefits. Scuba diving can train breathing, train all the muscles of the body, burn more calories and relieve stress. However, despite all the benefits, scuba diving also has risks for health, one of which is nitrogen narcosis.

What is nitrogen narcosis?

Nitrogen narcosis or a condition of loss of consciousness due to narcotic effects of high doses of nitrogen dissolved in the body after diving. This can occur during shallow dives, but is more likely and often occurs for divers descending well below 20 meters. This condition can become severe at a depth of 40 meters. This is the safe limit for scuba diving.

The deeper you dive, the greater your risk of developing narcosis. The reason is, the deeper you dive, the higher the pressure your body receives, so the more nitrogen you absorb.

What are the symptoms of nitrogen narcosis?

Narcosis produces a condition similar to a hangover. Symptoms of nitrogen narcosis include dizziness, euphoria (ecstatic joy), disorientation (confusion / dazed), loss of balance, slow reaction response, and cognitive impairments such as slurred speech, difficulty remembering, poor concentration, difficulty thinking clearly, difficulty processing information, and difficulty understanding what other people say.

The effects of this anesthesia can then cause hallucinations, impaired balance and coordination, blindness, unconsciousness (partially or completely), and even death.

These symptoms can be exacerbated by cold temperatures, stress, and a rapid rate of change in pressure.

What causes nitrogen narcosis?

The cause of nitrogen narcosis is the narcotic effect of high doses of nitrogen that dissolves in the body.

This anesthetic effect of nitrogen can be achieved when your body is in a high pressure environment, such as in the deep ocean. When affected by high pressure, dissolved nitrogen in the body absorbs into the nerve membrane and causes interference with the transmission of brain signals. This then causes various changes in your mental state and sensory perceptions.

Nitrogen in the body is also believed to react with fat tissue. Most of the brain is made up of fat tissue.

How to know nitrogen narcosis when diving?

The effects of nitrogen anesthesia can cause you to become complacent and have a hangover sensation, leading you to decide to continue diving deeper beyond the pressure of the reserve tank without worry. This hangover effect leaves you unaware of the true dangers of nitrogen narcosis.

For a quick way to detect narcosis while diving, watch for any unusual emotional changes. Many divers report experiencing unusual thoughts during narcosis. For example, one diver once reported strange effects such as tasting sweet water or seeing a different color on their pressure gauge.

Climb to the top (slowly) or notify your dive instructor and buddy when you begin to have difficulty understanding information, such as reading a pressure gauge or dive screen.

How to treat nitrogen narcosis?

Once you start to notice the symptoms, slowly work your way up. The narcosis effect will diminish when you reach the shallower water. After that, the symptoms will subside and go away completely, without remaining.

It's best not to continue diving immediately afterward. Give your body time to adjust for some time. If symptoms persist, stop diving immediately after reaching the surface of the water.

Never dive alone. Help with a dive partner is important when you start to feel the symptoms of nitrogen narcosis in the sea.