A friend of mine has mild asthma and wants to go diving

[jonniex]

[FONT=____noteworthy]A friend of mine has mild asthma and wants to go diving, she wants to get certified.
I've heard that this is a problem and she should steer her away. Is there any exceptions to this rule?[/FONT]
[FONT=____noteworthy]If this is out of the question, Is there a treatment o physical therapy exercise/regimen she could do to ever change this circumstance?[/FONT][FONT=____noteworthy]

She really really wants to learn and is very enthusiastic about it she is so excited and would really add a lot to the community I really hope I can get her in the water with me... thank you![/FONT][FONT=____noteworthy]
[/FONT]
-Jonathan Bryan
Divesummit.com

Diver since 2012

Favorite quote: "Tropical coral reefs are to SCUBA diving what alpine peaks are to backpacking. Reefs are the highlights, the places where equipment manufacturers strut their stuff, and photographers shoot magazine covers.

 

[Boingo]

I have mild asthma. I went to my family practice doctor & got a full check up. Did some breathing tests on me & signed me off. Good to go.

 

[MSDT476614]

repost this under dive medicine, you would probably get better responses and more qualified responses.

 

[Scott]

Should really be a discussion between your friend and her physcian. None of us here know her history.

 

[Bob DBF]

Find a physician that practices dive medicine and find out if her particular type of asthma will stop her from diving. Mine doesn't.

An Internet forum is not a substitute for a good Doc.



Bob
----------------------
I may be old, but I'm not dead yet.

 

[Kryssa]

I think it depends on her triggers. Sometimes I will wheeze when I'm around cats, but that isn't a problem underwater. I don't have exercise induced asthma, which is what I imagine would be an issue if you're kicking against a serious current.

This is something she should definitely discuss with a doctor familiar with diving. (Although I will admit I did just have my primary care physician sign my forms.)

 

[freewillie]

It depends on the type of asthma, how much medicine she needs to control it, and what type of triggers will initiate an attack.

General rule of thumb the less medicine that is required and the longer the interval between exacerbations the more probable she could dive.

Asthma is on the you can do it but there are restrictions list for diving. The diver must meet certain criteria before she is cleared to dive. That is a conversation best had with her and a dive MD or a doctor familiar with dive medicine. A general MD without knowledge might simply not qualify her. Another option would be a pulmonary specialist.

 

[DocVikingo]

It depends on the type of asthma, how much medicine she needs to control it, and what type of triggers will initiate an attack. General rule of thumb the less medicine that is required and the longer the interval between exacerbations the more probable she could dive.

That really doesn't speak to the med issue with precision, Willie. It's actually much more a matter of a what medicine(s) and when and how effective it is than simply how much.

You may find the immediately following post informative.

Regards,

DocVikingo

---------- Post added January 22nd, 2013 at 04:35 AM ----------

Hi Jonniex,

Your friend may find the following to be informative-->
Doc Vikingo's Diving With Asthma

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[Kay Wilson]

As a dive operator I am unable to provide service to someone who I know to have a medical condition unless they have a fitness to dive statement from their physician.

This presents 2 challenges:

I am reliant on the diver being honest when completing their paperwork, and if they have produced a fitness to dive statement that the doctor in question understands dive medicine.

My advice to anyone who would like to dive but has questions about their fitness / health is to seek a doctor who is a diver, or has an appreciation of dive medicine.

Just as a cautionary tale a few years ago I decided that I would like to dive following a chest cold, I know I shouldn't have dived, but I did. Long story short, the remnants of a cold turned into something much worse, and I was out of the water for a very, very long time. If I hadn't recruited and trained some great folks to keep things running whilst I was sick I could have lost my business.

Don't take risks with your health, your lungs are very delicate, look after them!

 

[Oldbear]

My GF has mild asthma also and we have been stating out snorkeling, which she is very comfortable now with. To get her use to breathing through a mouth piece for longer than 30 minutes we used an old Navy traiing technique, we watched TV together wearing our masks and snorkels. While this looks weird it really helps with the breathing. I also used this old Navy training technique to help me lower my air consumption rate. At 60' I get about an extra 10-15 minutes.

There, however, is no substitute for a good doctor's evaluation. DAN has a network of physicians that are local to you; we found one that has been working with us and she is now ready to start diving.

DAN | Medical Referral Network

Give DAN a call...

Good luck,

~Oldbear~

---------- Post added January 29th, 2013 at 07:42 AM ----------

...My advice to anyone who would like to dive but has questions about their fitness / health is to seek a doctor who is a diver, or has an appreciation of dive medicine...Don't take risks with your health, your lungs are very delicate, look after them!

Great Advice :cool3: