職業潜水夫と耳科疾患について—耳科症状と耳管機能検査を中心に

Otological Disorders Related to Professional Scuba Divers:Otological Disorders and A Functional Test of The Eustachian Tube

　はじめに

　近年，海洋スポーツの普及によるスキューバダイビング人口の増加にともない，ダイビングに伴う合併症が注目されている。耳鼻咽喉科領域では，前頭洞スクイーズ，鼻出血，潜水性中耳炎，鼓膜穿孔さらに内耳窓破裂などの合併症が報告されている。

　今回，ダイビングと耳科疾患の関連を知ることを目的に職業潜水夫を対象に耳科症状と耳管機能を中心に調べたので報告する。

The various disorders in the auditory canal and some otological complications after scuba diving among twentyeight professional scuba divers in Okinawa islands was studied. The complications are otitis media, vertigo, and rupture of the roundwindow membrane. Most of these complications were developed when the divers were afflicted by common cold. A function test of the Eustachian tube showed that the longer they had been diving,the higher the opening pressure of the Eustachian tube was. However, it was noted that the opening pressure patterns were not significantly different from those of a normal group.