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Narcosis results from breathing gases under elevated pressure, and may be classified by the principal gas involved. The noble gases, except helium and probably neon, [2] as well as nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen cause a decrement in mental function, but their effect on psychomotor function (processes affecting the coordination of sensory or cognitive processes and motor activity) varies widely.
Narcosis can produce tunnel vision, making it difficult to read multiple gauges. Nitrogen narcosis is a change in consciousness, neuromuscular function, and behavior brought on by breathing compressed inert gasses, most commonly nitrogen. It has also been called depth intoxication, “narks,” and rapture of the deep.
Helium both enters and leaves the body faster than nitrogen, so different decompression schedules are required, but, since helium does not cause narcosis, it is preferred over nitrogen in gas mixtures for deep diving. [59] There is some debate as to the decompression requirements for helium during short-duration dives.
Mild symptoms will usually resolve without treatment, though appropriate treatment may accelerate recovery considerably. Failure to treat severe cases can have fatal or long term effects. Some types of injuries are more likely to have long lasting effects depending on the organs involved.
Nitrogen narcosis is a reversible alteration in consciousness that occurs while breathing gas with a high partial pressure of nitrogen. The effect is similar to alcohol intoxication or nitrous oxide inhalation and does not usually become noticeable at nitrogen partial pressures less than about 3 bar, equivalent to a depth of about 30 meters ...
Nitrogen narcosis is also called “L’ivresse des grandes profondeurs” or "rapture of the deep". Nitrogen constitutes 78% of dry air, but at surface pressures it has no sedating effect. At greater depths, however, nitrogen affects the brain in the same way as nitrous oxide (also known as laughing gas ) and other anaesthetic gases.
Nitrogen narcosis occurs quickly and the symptoms typically disappear equally quickly during the ascent, so that divers often fail to realise they were ever affected. It affects individual divers at varying depths and conditions, and can even vary from dive to dive under identical conditions.
Narcosis while deep diving is prevented by breathing a gas mixture containing helium. Helium is stored in brown cylinders. The most straightforward way to avoid nitrogen narcosis is for a diver to limit the depth of dives. Since narcosis becomes more severe as depth increases, a diver keeping to shallower depths can avoid serious narcosis.