Self-reported headache during saturation diving.
BACKGROUND
Some commercial divers have claimed that headache is a frequent symptom related to decompression following a saturation dive, but due to lack of systematic reporting there is limited knowledge of the incidence and clinical characteristics of such headaches.


METHODS
During 2001, a questionnaire was distributed to divers participating in offshore saturation diving operations on the Norwegian continental shelf. Two major diving contractors participated. The survey allowed anonymous self-reporting of past and present problems with headache; pain intensity was indicated daily on a visual analog scale (VAS) from 0 to 10. Of 95 divers, 56 participated and 67 saturations were registered.


RESULTS
The divers estimated a higher frequency of headaches in connection to saturation diving than in everyday life (p < 0.001). One third of the divers reported experiencing headache after they finished decompression. There was a significant increase in reports of headache on the last day of decompression (p = 0.03) and on the first day post-saturation (p < 0.001) compared with the start of decompression. Median headache duration was 6 h (range 1-84 h) and median pain score estimated on a VAS was 2.5 (range 0.1-7.8), equivalent to moderate intensity.


CONCLUSIONS
Headache incidence is greater in divers during saturation diving than in everyday life. The increase is correlated to the last phase of decompression and the post-saturation period. No specific cause(s) of the headache could be identified, but we discuss possible explanations.
Englund
Martin
M
Norwegian Underwater Intervention (NUI) A/S, Bergen, Norway. martin.englund@ort.lu.se
Risberg
Jan
J
D000328:Adult; D003625:Data Collection; D003664:Decompression; D004242:Diving / Q000502:physiology*; D006261:Headache / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement