1.Chronic effects of long-term diving on human health
Bingwen ZHOU ; Tongtong JIN ; Yunwang ZHOU ; Jianshe LI ; Baoliang ZHU ; Weigang XU ; Kun ZHANG
China Occupational Medicine 2024;51(3):350-355
With the widespread application of diving technology, the safety of long-term diving has become a research focus. Research on the chronic health effects of long-term diving on divers mainly focuses on the respiratory system, circulatory system, nervous system, skeletal system, urinary system, as well as psychological health and sleep. Long-term diving can lead to increased lung capacity, thickening of nasal mucosa, myocardial hypertrophy, changes in heart rhythm, and hearing loss in divers. The impact of long-term diving on health is influenced by diving exposure index such as diving mode, maximum diving depth, underwater stay time, diving frequency, and number of dives, as well as individual factors such as years of diving experience, age, and medical history of divers. However, research on the effects of diving on health are inconsistent, and the potential mechanisms of health damage are unclear. Future large-scale research should be conducted under strict experimental conditions and with standardized inclusion criteria for subjects. Establishing a scientific and systematic assessment method for decompression is crucial for studying the chronic health effects of divers and enhancing understanding of relevant mechanisms to promote the development of diving industry and sport.