sharky001:
My girlfriend has allergy and cold induced asthma. She has at times been hospitalized b/c of her asthma. This has by no means stopped her from being an exceptional athlete - 3 06 00 - marathon and lots of mountaineering. She would love to dive (and so would I), but her family doctor says "NO!". I'm curious if her doctor is being overly cautious and I think she should see a specialist, if this is something she would like to persue. She has no aspirations to dive the Andrea Doria, but would like to complete an OW1 certification and dive occasionally (especially in warm climes). Any thoughts ... I know there are now courses available for people with asthma.
The following is an updated piece on asthma & diving that originally appeared in my Dec '00 "Dive Workshop" column in "Rodale's Scuba Diving:"
"Can I Dive With Asthma?
Asthma is a chronic but often largely controllable obstructive pulmonary disease that affects about eight to 10 percent of children and five to eight percent of adults in the U.S. Signs and symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing, tightness in the chest and lasting cough. The potential adverse impact of a severe attack under water is obvious, and could be fatal. Arterial gas embolism (AGE) as a result of air trapping from the constriction and plugging characteristic of this disease has also been a frequent, but as yet inconclusive, concern.
Asthma Triggers
Asthma is a chronic irritation & hypersensitivity of the respiratory tract, and attacks can be triggered as a reaction to a variety of conditions including stress, cold or exercise, or allergens such as pollen and certain foods and medications. The asthmatic?s body reacts to these triggers, in varying order and severity, by constriction of smooth muscle in the bronchi and bronchioles, inflammation of the airway and increased mucous production. Attacks tend to be recurrent rather than continuous, and there is often much that can be done medically to reverse breathing difficulties when they do occur. In addition, since many of the precipitants of an attack are known, they can be avoided or controlled.
Diving with Asthma
Until the mid-1990s, asthma was largely considered an absolute contraindication to diving. However, thinking in the medical and professional dive community has rather radically altered since then, and those with asthma can now be certified under certain circumstances. Although they differ somewhat, the YMCA, BASC and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Society each offer protocols guiding medical clearance to dive.
For example, the YMCA criteria include a requirement that all asthmatics have normal resting and exercise pulmonary function tests with no degradation after exercise. The criteria allow those taking routine preventative medications to be evaluated while continuing their treatment. Also required is the ability to exercise and tolerate stress without becoming symptomatic while on maintenance medications, and the absence of a need for ?rescue? inhalers during times of stress or exertion.
If you suffer from asthma, it?s clearly unwise to deny or minimize this condition to yourself, or hide it from your instructor or the operators with whom you dive. Scuba can involve some of the asthma triggers discussed above, such as cold and exercise, not mention hyperdry scuba cylinder gas. If you have asthma and want to dive, or are already diving without medical clearance, it is critical that you consult a physician to obtain an appropriate pulmonary workup and permission to dive."
If you're interested in pursuing this, here is the YMCA Asthma Protocol along with a contact for Dr. Duke Scott, the YSCUBA Medical Advisor who oversees the project---->
http://www.ymcascuba.org/ymcascub/asthmatc.html. He's a very nice & capable chap who is more than willing to answer questions.
This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual, and should not be construed as such.
Hope you found this helpful.
DocVikingo
