How can nitrogen narcosis be mitigated?

Mitigating nitrogen narcosis primarily involves managing the depth and duration of a dive. Nitrogen narcosis, often referred to as "rapture of the deep," occurs when divers breathe in nitrogen at high pressures, which can affect the central nervous system and lead to impairments in judgment, coordination, and perception.

Limiting depth reduces the partial pressure of nitrogen in the breathing mix. Since nitrogen narcosis becomes more pronounced at greater depths, staying shallower helps prevent it. Additionally, managing dive time is crucial because longer exposure to high pressures increases the amount of nitrogen absorbed by the body. By adhering to recommended depth limits and not exceeding safe dive times, divers can significantly reduce their risk of experiencing nitrogen narcosis.

Other approaches, like increasing dive time, breathing rapidly, or taking medications, do not effectively address the physiological factors underlying nitrogen narcosis. Increasing dive time would only worsen the situation by prolonging exposure to high pressure and increasing nitrogen absorption. Breathing rapidly does not mitigate the effects of nitrogen narcosis and could lead to other issues, such as hyperventilation. Lastly, while certain medications might assist in some scenarios, there is no widely accepted medication specifically for the prevention of nitrogen narcosis