How does increased pressure affect a diver's body?

Increased pressure has a significant effect on a diver's body, particularly as a diver descends deeper into the water. One of the primary physiological responses is that the body absorbs more nitrogen from the surrounding environment. This occurs due to the increased pressure compressing the gas molecules, which results in a higher partial pressure of the gases, specifically nitrogen, in the tissues. Consequently, as divers go deeper, the amount of nitrogen dissolved in the blood and tissues rises, which is important to understand in the context of preventing issues like decompression sickness.

While alterations in lung volume do occur with pressure changes, the body’s response in terms of nitrogen absorption is the most relevant aspect for deep diving and is directly linked to safety when ascending. Understanding this phenomenon is crucial for divers to manage their ascent rates and adhere to safety protocols to avoid potential dive-related health issues.

In relation to buoyancy, deeper diving typically increases water pressure which actually decreases buoyancy, not increases it, meaning that divers might experience a need to add air to their buoyancy control devices (BCDs) to maintain neutral buoyancy as they descend. Likewise, while increased pressure does enhance oxygen uptake, this effect is primarily relevant to certain diving conditions, not universally applicable across all depths.