Pro divers suffer fewer headaches, says study

Professional divers suffer from fewer headaches, on average, than non-divers.

That’s according to new research from Italy, reported in detail by Reuters Health this week.

Headaches can be the bane of a diver’s life, occurring due to overly tight mask straps, suit collars, pressure changes and immersion in cold water.

And then there’s the classic sinus problem that can quickly lead to headaches.

Pondering the effect of diving on the brain, Italian researchers studied 201 male professional divers, set against a control group of non-diving firefighters.

The results suggested the divers were 30 percent less likely to suffer from headaches.

Lead author and neurologist Dr. Roberto Di Fabio theorised that “divers’ overall health” could play a part, or that the act of diving itself was a factor.

However, the study only looked at professionals, and its authors cautioned against drawing conclusions about recreational divers.