The Possible Dangerous Health Risks of Long-Term Scuba Diving

Scuba diving health risk is an issue for anyone venturing into what lurks beneath the water. Medical professionals are now better able to understand the potential ill-effects on health of scuba divers over the long-term. 

For instance, 30 percent of the general population is prone to something called patent foramen ovale. Such a predilection makes this portion of divers more prone to arterial gas embolism because of an increase in right-to-left shunting of air bubbles. The foramen ovale is a hole in the heart that allows fetal circulation of oxygen to take place, while baby is in the womb. 

When humans are born, the hole should close up fully. It often does not, and in some cases it needs to be surgically repaired. Otherwise, it causes all sorts of issues, particularly for divers. 

Otherwise, other well-known diver health issues include: dysbaric osteonecrosis, hearing loss and permanent neurological effects. Though, these mostly result from the same source: decompression accidents. 

Additional damage that divers have experienced include cognitive dysfunction and retinal, heart and liver damage. Informing doctors of the risks of diving leads to better patient education and detection of such problems. Such information gives divers the chance to prevent illness and to make sure they find treatment when needed. 

Understanding Pressure and Decompression 
The biggest damage of all is thought to come from decompression. It is basically that the human body is acclimated to the air pressure of the non-aqueous atmosphere and does not have to adjust and re-adjust quickly nor constantly. Once the human body goes under water, the ambient pressure changes. When changes in pressure change to quickly it causes decompression illness, which is basically the body's inability to re-balance quickly and effectively enough to changes in pressure. 

Evidence is starting to surface that suggests that the long-term scuba diving health risk casts a wider net. Such damage includes pulmonary effects, such as the small airways of the lungs. In additional, damage to the retina, brain and spinal cord and inner ear is also among long-term scuba diving health effects. 

Dysbariac Osteonecrosis 
Another serious and troubling side effect from scuba diving is something called dysbariac osteonecrosis. It is joint degeneration from the air pressure involved with scuba diving. It is not a new health discovery, but it is still prevalent among divers who are not aware of such issues. 

The biggest issue is that there is little evidence to differentiate at what point a sport diver would become more prone to the diseases and health problems associated with deep divers. Awareness of such ill health effects is the first step in preventing many of these problems. Finding health care practitioners who understand the issues of divers is also exceptionally important too. 

Consider getting a full workup to determine what health issues would impact you more than others. Having a hole in the heart, or foramen ovale, for instance, gives greater rise to 
arterial gas embolism than the other 70 percent of the population who have no fetal-stage hole remaining in their hearts.