What Researchers Did
Researchers looked back at the medical records of 115 scuba divers over 13 years to understand inner ear decompression sickness.
What They Found
Inner ear decompression sickness (IEDCS) accounted for 24% of all treated patients, with symptoms appearing a median of 20 minutes after surfacing. Pure balance issues were seen in 76.5% of cases, while 77% of divers had a large right-to-left shunt, and 68% of patients experienced incomplete recovery.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian scuba divers experiencing inner ear symptoms such as balance issues or hearing loss after a dive should be aware that these could be signs of inner ear decompression sickness (IEDCS). This condition is common, often linked to a heart anomaly called a right-to-left shunt, and frequently results in long-term, incomplete recovery despite hyperbaric treatment.
Canadian Relevance
This study covers decompression sickness, a Health Canada-recognized indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, although no direct Canadian connection or authors were identified.
Study Limitations
This study was a retrospective analysis, meaning it looked back at past data, and the exact cause of inner ear decompression sickness remains unclear.