Long term effects of compression/lots of diving?

[filmguy123]

I have heard brief references of professional divers, or older enthusiasts divers with many years of diving and many dives under their belts, having chronic aches and pains and joint issues from the toll diving can take on the body.

Likewise, there is always debate on what algorithms are too liberal or too conservative, etc.

I wanted to separate this question from the other thread on algorithms, so allow me to ask:

Just because you don't get bent on a single dive, or ever on a dive using a more liberal algorithm... could that increased downtime that pushes the limits a bit more eventually contribute to increased chronic pain or issues long term?

Even with a conservative algorithm, will doing a great many dives for many years take its toll on the body in older age?

How common is it to experience the side effects of a life of diving later in life?

(BTW - this thread is not about if its "worth it" or not. Any sport will take its toll, from motorcycling to football to basketball to running. "Worth it" or not isn't the point of this thread! We dive because we love it, and assume the risks in the short term and the long term).

 

[dmaziuk]

google for sub-clinical dcs, post-dive fatigue, and decompression stress.

The sort answer is currently popular hypothesis is that repeated sub-clinical dcs may increase the risk of clinical dcs and may have long-term health effects, but there's no data to prove it either way.

PS. considering average age of the diving population, "later in life" is also a somewhat questionable proposition: if it takes 20 years for decompression stress to take its toll, I'll feel 70 by then with or without its help. If I'm still around.

 

[boulderjohn]

I did a couple of dives with someone who was also a commercial diver. He was very sure that long term commercial diving (he had been doing it for more than 20 years) did have an effect upon the body, as did his doctor, who advised him to get much more conservative as he aged. (Keep in mind that commercial diving is often very deep for very long.) He was concerned, but not concerned enough to stop diving as a hobby in addition to diving as a career.

The problem seems to be Disbaric Osteonecrosis (DON). This not, however, believed to be an issue for recreational divers.

There is also something called compression arthralgia which supposedly can occur with any diver, although I have never heard of anyone getting it.

I read a study released a number of years ago about osteonecrosis happening in recreational dive instructors, but I can't find it right now. I remember writing immediately that I had my suspicions about it because I thought the descriptors of the instructors studied were suspect at best. They indicated that the instructors were doing enough dives annually that they were dong multiple dives nearly every day (which is possible in a resort area) and averaging nearly 100 feet per dive (which is simply not possible for an instructor).

 

[PfcAJ]

I've heard that DON isn't all that uncommon in avid technical divers. Thing is that its asymptomatic in most cases.

 

[Laurie S.]

My husband, former Vietnam Navy Seal and an MSDT, developed aseptic bone necrosis from diving too long and too deep. He's always in pain, especially in his hands. Doesn't stop him from diving, however.

 

[mainedvr]

Nothing to add but a very interesting topic. Thanks for starting the thread.

 

[Subcooled]

What long term neurological effects could there be after repeated/significant exposure to high pressure oxygen, nitrogen or helium?

A) Direct effects?
- Oxygen could potentially damage brain cells (and eyes).
- Nitrogen and helium are chemically inert, but they do have a size as physical matter and in excessive amounts they can block, push and break things. They might alter surfaces. Nanophysics things. If you don't believe, then do recall (inert) gas narcosis and helium tremors.
- Could these actually cause persistent neurological damage over a long time?

B) Bubble effects?
- IF gas bubbles cause DON by blocking blood vessels, then could they do the same in the brain and cause a creeping brain damage? Or eye damage? Or hearing impairment?

 

[Subcooled]

I found these.

Alert Diver | Effects of Diving on the Brain

DAN Europe - Long term effects of DCI

 

[TMHeimer]

I've heard that there can be some bad effects. dmaziuk points out the lack of data. I didn't read all of the DAN stuff, but the jist of one article seems to be there are so many other factors as we age that amount of diving being a cause of something is hard to prove. The other article refers to "risky" profiles over time, so that would seem somewhat irrelevant for the "safe" diver.
Kind of like back in 1970 people saying pot may be harmful in the long run, but we don't know the effects for sure, so better abstain. Seems there is no data YET--45 years later--well, at least none that I've heard discussed. Maybe I can dive forever, having never actually tried pot. That has to go on the bucket list.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

The financial strain seems to be the worst.