These divers did not have a history of inner ear decompression sickness or IEB. The purpose of this study was to examine the cochlear function of nonprofessional divers with considerable diving experience but no increased exposure to noise during work and leisure time. 18, 21 - 24 Therefore, the effect of acoustic trauma or potential harmful effects of increased pressure and partial pressures of breathing gases cannot be differentiated. 18 - 24 Most studies of diving-associated hearing loss reveal an association with occupational noise exposure. Whether uneventful scuba diving in the absence of a decompression incident is a risk factor for cochlear disorders is a matter of debate. If hearing function is measured only by air conduction, there is the possibility that the residual damage of middle ear barotrauma, which is the most common accident in diving, 17 may influence the hearing test results. Inner ear barotrauma (IEB) 1 - 7 and inner ear decompression sickness 2 - 4, 8 - 16 can lead to permanent sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo. Results There were no statistically significant differences in the hearing thresholds between sport divers and nondivers.Ĭonclusions The reduced hearing levels of professional divers found in other studies are probably due to the high noise levels that they have to deal with or may be a result of inner ear accidents.ĭiving puts the inner ear at risk. The participants were divided into 3 age groups, and the hearing test results for both ears combined were statistically compared. Main Outcome Measure After microscopic otoscopy and tympanometry, we used pure-tone audiometry to measure the hearing threshold for air and bone conduction. Participants Sixty sport divers with an average of 650 dives each and at least 4 years of diving experience (mean, 10 years) were compared with a control group of 63 nondivers from our hospital staff or patients referred for rhinologic problems or benign tumors of the salivary gland.

Objective To investigate the effect of scuba diving on the hearing threshold of sport divers who have no history of excessive noise exposure or of diving-related inner ear damage.ĭesign Cross-sectional controlled comparison study. Shared Decision Making and Communication.Scientific Discovery and the Future of Medicine.Health Care Economics, Insurance, Payment.Clinical Implications of Basic Neuroscience.Challenges in Clinical Electrocardiography.

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