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Well I went down to Bogota Colombia and went to the hospital for multiple issues, turned out I have gallstones and also possible asthma. The doctor said my lung on the right side was more compressed or something to that effect and said that the pressure in bogota maybe causing my lungs to not function as normal as they would when I am in Florida. Doctor gave me some medication for my lungs, I ended up going to San Andres (island in the carribbean owned by Colombia) and went scuba diving, I felt fine except I had to cough a lot but my lungs felt ok. Since I have been back in Florida, now the doctors are saying that they are also concerned the possibility I could have asthma which was never a issue previously. I went to get testing which I will get the results on Tuesday. I have dived a few times before but I am currently not certified. I am worried this will disqualify me from certification, is there anything serious I should be concerned about regarding asthma? I generally feel fine on dives.
in France, we caracterize asthma with 4 levels
1) asthma crisis are rare. you don't take regurlarly drug (as salbutamol, aka ventoline), and your last crisis is at least 3 week old. you can dive
2, 3 and 4) forget to dive.
Patrick
asthmatic (no more since he quit the family house, or only when drinking too much and smoking)
Just because you seemed to "feel fine" on your previous dive experiences doesn't necessarily mean that you should be diving.
FWIW, in the U.S., asthma is not necessarily a contraindication for scuba diving. Asthma occurs with varying degrees of severity and may have different triggers (pollen, cold air, exercise). A scuba diver may be exposing himself to one or more of these triggers while scuba diving. It's best to educate yourself about your condition in order to make an informed decision with regard to pursuing scuba certification.
Perhaps the best advice is to schedule an appointment with a respiratory specialist who is familiar with dive medicine. Divers Alert Network (DAN; 1-800-446-2671 or +1-919-684-2948, Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. EST) can give you a referral if you like. FYI, most scuba instructional agencies will ask you to get medically cleared by a physician prior to beginning a basic OW class, particularly if you disclose a past history of asthma.
You should know that an asthmatic assumes increased risk while diving. Without getting into too much detail, an asthmatic diver may be at increased risk of pulmonary barotrauma -- and all the bad things that can potentially arise from it (arterial gas embolism, pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum).
i've said it before....i'll keep saying it. If you have asthma you MUST get checked by a pulmonologist who understands dive medicine. That is the clearence you need to dive.
I have asthma that is extremely well controlled and have had no symptoms in almost 10 years. I dive because my doc tells me i can!
All because people with asthma tell you they dive...it does not mean that YOU can too! Get checked.
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