I have Asthma and I want to Scuba dive!

[Bogie]

Only you are responsible for your choices. Scuba diving has risks. No doctor can assure you 100% that you will be fit to dive. Get a thorough check up with your doctor. Does your medication affect your diving? Are you prepared physically,mentally and emotionally to handle the stresses of diving? What if you have an asthma attack under water, how would you react and what would you do? Could you stay cool and surface safely? Would you involuntary inhale water?

If you were to choose to scuba, dive shallow. Even shallow (20ft) you can get air bubbles in bad places that cause bad things.

Only you can decide what risks you are willing to take. You may have your asthma completely under control and will have no problems and have great scuba experiences. It is your life and you get to make the decision. Good luck and good health.

 

[purbeast]

Wow this thread has blown up! Thanks for all of the replies everybody I've read each and every one and taken everything into consideration.

So here is where I stand...

I just got off the phone with my doctor, I talked to him personally and not his secretary. He is somewhat of a family friend so he is really upfront and wants the best for me (he went to medical school with my father).

I'm going to meet with him this Friday at 8:30am and he's going to check me out and run some tests. I told him about the advice given on these boards as well, and told him that I can bring the phone # to DAN and we can contact them during the evaluation so he can know what to look for and everything. So I'm going to go do that with him Friday.

I also told him about the doctor that DAN recommended for a dive physical, and he had never heard of it but he was all for it. So he said that it will be best if I go see him Friday since he knows my history, and I haven't seen him since January 08 as well, so a regular checkup is in need anyways. Then after I see him, he is going to let me his opinion if he thinks I should go see the DAN recommended Hyperbaric doctor, although in general he sounded all for it because he would be the kind of doctor to go to.

Well I will let you all know how it goes and thanks again!

 

[purbeast]

Just something to file away... Here is an Australian company that is working on solutions for divers with asthma. I don't think their products are approved in the U.S. and I don't know anything about them except for the information on their web site. I am also not sure I agree with what they are doing but time and testing will tell the story I suppose. Just something that I bookmarked a while back. It could be a good site to watch if you have asthma and want to dive.

wow that is pretty cool, putting the inhaler medicine into a snorkel.

the thing is i have snorkeled plenty of times before and never had an issue at all doing that.

also that seems weird because you are supposed to hold your breathe for a few seconds after you take puffs from your inhaler, which will have you taking deeper breathes afterwards to get your air back.

that is definitely interesting though!

EDIT:

and yes I understand there is a huge difference between scuba and snorkeling since you are breathing in cold oxygen when scuba

 

[dgreenh]

EDIT:

and yes I understand there is a huge difference between scuba and snorkeling since you are breathing in cold oxygen when scuba

You are still breathing air on scuba. It is just generally very dry air.

 

[octopuppy]

My husband's allergist wouldn't give the go-ahead for years. Then once the doc was certified himself and after tests and Advair he finally gave the go ahead. There's been no problem (diving Nitrox) and in fact all symptoms go away with the diving and airways really open up. But that' is just his situation. If you Do get certified, one thing to always check out is the tank fill set up to be sure there are no alergen triggers in the vacinity (eg: kitty likes to sleep on the compressor) and that filters are in place and working. Hope it works out for you.

 

[Splash-X]

one thing to always check out is the tank fill set up to be sure there are no alergen triggers in the vacinity (eg: kitty likes to sleep on the compressor) and that filters are in place and working. Hope it works out for you.

Not to take it off topic but this statment applies to ALL divers. It is possible for any diver to get some "bad air" from a place that does not maintain their filling equipment.

To the OP, if you wouldn't mind, please let us know what your doctor has to say after your appointment. I too hope it works out for you.

 

[pasley]

Just something to file away... Here is an Australian company that is working on solutions for divers with asthma. .....

Not a solution for SCUBA Divers, only snorkelers and is IMHO a solution for a non-problem. Let's face it, If I can use a snorkel, then since I am already on the surface, why can't I just go vertical and use the inhaler with out a fancy expensive snorkel? But this project offers nothing to solve the problem of an asthma attack at depth and the complication of surfacing with restricted airways and pathways in the lungs.

 

[dgreenh]

Not a solution for SCUBA Divers, only snorkelers and is IMHO a solution for a non-problem. Let's face it, If I can use a snorkel, then since I am already on the surface, why can't I just go vertical and use the inhaler with out a fancy expensive snorkel? But this project offers nothing to solve the problem of an asthma attack at depth and the complication of surfacing with restricted airways and pathways in the lungs.

If you look at their products you will find...
MediDive SCUBA Regulator

It still might not be a solution but it gives you an idea of what attempts are being made to develop a product. As I said, I'm not sure of my feelings about these products. Testing, testing, testing might answer the questions and concerns.

 

[SeaArch1]

Like so many others have said the most important thing you can do is see a doctor who understands the effects of diving on the human body and how it relates to asthma and also make sure you do not hide any information from the doctor nor the dive operator. At one of the dive operations i was previously at we had a guy that did not disclose that he had epilepsy this gentleman probably made 50+ dives in the time period he was there including deep dives without fault but then one day while diving thankfully in shallow water he had an epileptic seizure. Thanks to the quick response of one of the Divemasters he survived the ordeal. The DM had to go into full rescue procedures including in water rescue breaths and cpr when he reached the boat, because the guy had essentially drowned when he had the seizure, he spit his reg and started uncontrollably sucking water. But to make a long story short this is a situation that could have been avoided by the gentleman not lying about his condition. Even though as professional we train for situations just like this it is not something we want to have to put into play anytime it is a very traumatic experience for the diver but can be just as or more traumatic for the Divemaster or instructor. Just my experience and 2 cents.

 

[sdiver68]

At one of the dive operations i was previously at we had a guy that did not disclose that he had epilepsy this gentleman probably made 50+ dives in the time period he was there including deep dives without fault but then one day while diving thankfully in shallow water he had an epileptic seizure. Thanks to the quick response of one of the Divemasters he survived the ordeal. The DM had to go into full rescue procedures including in water rescue breaths and cpr when he reached the boat, because the guy had essentially drowned when he had the seizure, he spit his reg and started uncontrollably sucking water. But to make a long story short this is a situation that could have been avoided by the gentleman not lying about his condition.

Sorry, this story defies logic. Let's assume the gentleman has been cleared by a Dr which seems to be the 1 thing everyone can agree on regarding the disclosure issue.

1) Diver still has seizure
2) DM still saves guy

Exactly how did his answer on the form affect the outcome? It did not, unless the DM also refuses people with properly disclosed and Dr. signed forms.