THE EFFECTS OF DIVING ON PULMONARY FUNCTION

Abstract

ABSTRACTBackground: Diving as an occupation has its specific health problems. Respiratory system is one of thesystems that can be affected by environmental changes associated with diving as increased hydrostaticpressure, increased breathing gas density, and increased partial pressure of gases e.g. oxygen and carbondioxide.Aim: To determine the effects of diving on pulmonary function and the extent of this problem amongIraqi divers.Subjects & Methods: One hundred and twenty divers with 240 non-divers military personnel wereinterviewed according to special questionnaire and spirometry was performed for each of them.Results: The values of all studied pulmonary function tests were found to be lower in divers as comparedwith non-divers (FEV1, FVC, FEV1%, F50, F25, MVV, and MEF) with highly significant differences, exceptFET which was significantly higher in divers than in non-divers. These changes gave the features ofobstructive airway disease.Conclusions: Divers are at risk of some pulmonary function changes. The pattern of these changes isconsistent with small airways obstruction and they could be related mostly to their diving activities.Other factors cannot be excluded. Further studies on such occupational group are recommended.