Impact of Long-term Diving on Otolaryngology

Objective: 1) Determine the negative effects of diving in otolaryngology. 2) Review the literature and give a brief description of pathologies related to diving.

Method: Between May 2011 and February 2012, 90 male subjects were prospectively examined in Kasimpasa and Golcuk Military Hospitals. The study group consisted of 45 military divers, and the rest, nondivers, were determined as the control group. The data included the age, sex, and experience of diving in terms of years. Detailed otolaryngologic examination, including endoscopy, was performed. Continuous data were displayed as mean ± standard deviation (SD). The Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine statistically significant variances.

Results: In the study group, the mean age was 30.71 ± 5.932 years, and total time in diving was 7.289 ± 6.083 years. In the control group, the mean age was 32.21 ± 4.784 years. In the study group 26 of 45 subjects had exocytosis (57.7%), and 34 had inferior turbinate hypertrophy (75.5%). Correlation of exocytosis and the inferior turbinate hypertrophy between the 2 groups was statistically significant (P < .0001). Age was not statistically correlated between the 2 groups, implying the 2 groups were identical (P = .831)

Conclusion: Although the negative effect of cold water on the external ear canal is studied thoroughly, inferior turbinate hypertrophy in long-term divers was not familiar up to now. This study shows that diving has negative effects on external ear anatomy and the nasal cavity.