User:RexxS/Narcosis (diving)
Medical condition / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Narcosis while diving, commonly called nitrogen narcosis or inert gas narcosis, is a reversible alteration in consciousness in scuba divers at depth. It produces a state similar to alcohol intoxication or nitrous oxide inhalation. It occurs to some small extent at any depth, but in most cases does not become noticeable until greater depths, usually from 30 to 40 meters (100 to 130 feet).[1]
RexxS/Narcosis (diving) |
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Apart from helium, all gases that can be breathed have a narcotic effect, which is greater as the lipid solubility of the gas increases. At the depth increases, the effects of narcosis may become hazardous as the diver becomes increasingly impaired. Although divers can learn to cope with this impairment, it is not possible to develop a tolerance.[2] Predicting the depth at which narcosis will affect a diver is difficult as susceptibility varies widely from dive to dive and amongst individuals.
Narcosis is completely reversed by ascending to a shallower depth and produces no after effects. For this reason, narcosis while diving in open water rarely develops into a serious problem as long as the diver is aware of its symptoms and ascends to manage it. Diving beyond 40 m (130 ft) requires extra training and the use of a gas mixture containing helium is recommended.