Relationship of diving activity with pulmonary function changes in Iranian professional divers

There is evidence of undesirable effects of deep and prolonged diving on lung function and respiratory system diseases. The current study was conducted to determine the relationship between diving activity and pulmonary function changes in professional divers.

The current analytical study was conducted in 2017 on the coast of south and north of Iran. According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, all professional divers were studied in the census (consecutive) method. The demographic and clinical data were recorded. Diving experience (years), average diving hours, and average diving depth performed by the professional divers in their routine activities was recorded. The divers were visited by the pulmonologist and a thorough examination of the chest and internal lung examination was done and data was recorded. For all divers pulmonary or lung function tests and spirometery tests were done. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 18.

61 male professional divers with an average age of 34.5±4.2 years (29-38 years old) participated. 91.8% (56 people) was non-smokers (and the same with no allergies). The average diving experience was 10.5±5.5 years (range of 4-25 years). The average diving hours were 1071.8±753.2 hours in the range of 50-3500 hours. The average diving depth was 37.4±13.5 meters in the range of 5 to 60 meters. Relationship of experience, hours and average depth of diving with pulmonary symptoms (normal, cough, dyspnea, sputum, abdominal pain), pulmonary findings (normal, abnormal sound), chest graph (normal, pulmonary involvement, parenchyma involvement, lung adenopathy), Spirometry (normal, obstruction and restriction), FVC and FEV1 (Limiting disease, normal), FVC (patient, healthy), FEV1 (abnormal, normal, measurable, limiting disease), FEF (patient, healthy) was significant.

Increasing the experience, length, and the average depth of diving, as the factors in diving, has a negative effect on lung function. Therefore, it seems that the professional divers are prone to loss of lung function over time. However, the effect of diving on lung function depends on other factors, as well as on the individual itself.