Scuba diving and High Blood Pressure and HCV

[gehadoski]

Dear Sir

I believe that this is the best place to post this thread. I knew 3 months ago that I have HCV, I didn't start any medication for it. There are so signs or symptoms about it. The Doctors told me that I have a with a very LOW percentage. Some Tell me to start medication but there is not need to hurry, and others tell me that my case doesn't require medication and the body can clean itself on its own. Actually, many opinion and the don't know whom to trust. According to this and other personal stuff, I had a high blood preasure a month now. The doctor told me, that is High blood pressure is due to stress, no need to worry.
My questions are, I am planning a diving trip with couple of my friends in the Red Sea. Don't know if this is safe for me or not, and If it is safe what are the precautions that I should take in/out of the water.

If there is a doctor here I can ask for a second opinion will be great. PLEASE, if there is any question you want to ask, feel totaly free. Ask me anything you want.


Thanks a lot guys, realy appreciate your help

 

[fisherdvm]

I think if you have hepatitis C virus, the decision to treat it or not belongs to your gastroenterologist or primary care physician. You are only at risks to others, but not yourself in this case. You could inform your buddies for instance, so they might carry a CPR mask for their protection. If an incident occur that you need emergency help, your family might warn the attendants that you are a carrier of hepatitis - so they can take better precaution. But in the US, there is "universal precaution", so all health care professionals assume that everyone and anyone can be carrier of bloodborn infectious diseases. It might not be so where you dive. Unfortunately, some people who declare their status in some location might receive substandard care. One of the reasons why many people I know chose to hide their HIV and infectious disease status from their doctors... which is not a good idea. You are correct, some people are able to fend off hepatitis C by themselves. But I would encourage your discussing this with at least one other gastroenterologist yourself before you forgo treatment. I would probably do my own search on medline or other search engines and not depend on others to tell me.

As far as your blood pressure go, I guess there are many many divers with high blood pressure out there. If yours is borderline and does not need medications, I don't see why you can't dive. Just don't get into fights with your wife or girl friend too much. That certainly will elevate your blood pressure.

 

[headsqueeze]

Some more detail would be nice; what do you mean by HCV (if hepatitis C then do you have recent liver function studies?), and what are your blood pressure readings?

The extra information would help determine the extent of you diseases.

My questions are, I am planning a diving trip with couple of my friends in the Red Sea. Don't know if this is safe for me or not, and If it is safe what are the precautions that I should take in/out of the water.

Neither hepatitis C nor slight elevation of blood pressure (prehypertension) are cause for alarm. It is safe to dive with these diseases. As to precautions? hepatitis C as you know is mostly transmitted by sharing needles and rarely during sex. You should consider letting your dive team know of your liver disease - it's the right thing to do.

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi fisherdvm,

I'm bit confused over your recommendation that the poster consult with a gastroenterologist at this point in time. While a gastroenterologist (and hematologist, dermatologist and others) could conceivably be needed down the road, wouldn't a hepatologist and/or infectious disease specialist be the place to start in the assessment and treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV)?

Please educate me.

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi gehadoski,

I concur with "headsqueeze" that borderline HBP and incipient HCV that is asymptomatic are not contraindications to SCUBA.

As had been said, the infected diver should familiarize himself with how HCV is transmitted and he and his dive team take all reasonable precautions should there be an emergency.

Regards,

DocVikingo

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.

 

[TSandM]

It may be a bit regional . . . I know that in Seattle, some of the gastroenterologists have made niche practices in liver diseases, but still do endoscopy and other things that mainstream GI docs do.

 

[fisherdvm]

Hi fisherdvm,

I'm bit confused over your recommendation that the poster consult with a gastroenterologist at this point in time. While a gastroenterologist (and hematologist, dermatologist and others) could conceivably be needed down the road, wouldn't a hepatologist and/or infectious disease specialist be the place to start in the assessment and treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV)?

Please educate me.

Regards,

DocVikingo

At least in the hospital where I train, hepatology falls under GI. Kinda like when I was in the service, STD's were treated by dermatologists. In civilian life, most dermatologists don't know squat about STD's.

I think it is regional. When my mom was worked up for hepatitis C, it was her family doctor that managed it. When my classmate had hepatitis C, it was a GI doc who treated him with interferon. I am speaking only from my regional experience. Perhaps in Egypt, hepatology is practiced by infectious disease?

I have sent some of my porphyria patients to GI docs. Some managed them with outstanding result. Others don't know what to do with them. Actually, it was the hematologist who managed them eventually.

I think who manages a condition depends on his/her training.

 

[DocVikingo]

See what happens when you're a bailiwick-ridden academic at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine? The real world passes you by.

Seriously, thank you both for your input.

Regards,

Doc