Howdy folks,
regards from cold Cologne, Germany. I browsed through this thread, and I think there's a big lack of knowledge about diving w/ asthma, epecially most medicals just follow the rule "lung-disorder = no clearence".
well, i did my o/w and advance o/w last year, but I'm aware of the risk which is definatly there. This post is kust my humble oppinion, but anyway, here it is:
- You have to be physically fit
This means, you should be able to do some execises like running, swimming etc, *above* a moderate level without getting an asthma condition.
- You should know about your asthma
When do I get it? Is it allergy-caused? If so, what kind of allergies do I have? Can I make sure that I'm not exposed to those allergenes while diving?
- If you take medications like f.e. berotec or something to *prevent* an asthma-attack, take them 1/2hour before the dive. Sure, usually you should never dive on drugs, but having asthma should make you think different
- If you get a wheeze while swimming in cold water, just don't dive - under water there might be a cold stream
- Do you have severe asthma-attacks (means short breath or worse) which are caused by cold air or exercise? Then just don't dive.
Today here in Europe bout 30% of the people are having problems with allergies - which usually is also affecting the pneumoral systems. That doesn't mean, they can't do sports - with a propper medical treatment and the surveillance of a good doctor is is possible. A number of professional athlets are asthmatics, but medication is getting better and better, and, what's most importent, they do know about their asthma and almost can predict when they will have problems.
So, if you just have a mild, allergic indicated astma and can make sure, that you won't get those problems while diving and you doctor agrees to it after making the necessary tests, IMHO you are able to dive.
But always remember this:
Once at 30m (about 90 feet), if an asthma attack catches you, there's only little help, since asthma doesn't prevent you from breathing in but breathing out - which means the air is stuck in you lungs which makes it almost impossible to get up again!!!!
Therefore only dive when you feel absolutely fit.
Some other reccomendations:
Don't try stuff like ice-diving, caving, etc., since a panic-attack might lead to an asthma-attack - a well known phenomenum. Just remember the last time when you forgot your inhaler - the attack just came when you forgot it at home - strange, huh? Well, some kinds of astma are related to states of mind - that's proven.
Always keep a good state of your fitness, which sometime even helps you to get rid of your asthma. You also might want to try desensibilisation - you get a few shots with allergenes which will make you body to produce antigenes against them so that they don't affect you anymore or not that bad - ask your doctor about it.
And last not least: Somebody said you should inform your buddies/divemaster about your condition: That's something I agree to 100%.
OK, just my 2 cents
Happy new year from Cologne, Germany
Gregor
