Asthma and Diving

[BDAfreediver]

Hello,

Years ago I was given a present of a OW divers course, on my last day of the class I was denied going out and told I could not dive because I had placed "mild asthma" on my form. The Dive Master(owner of the company) failed to read my form before my course (I was being taught by another DM who worked for the company) They gave me no help and took my money. Hence where my story begins. I am an avid rec free diver and enjoy it but many of my friends dive and I know other divers who do have asthma and dive without a problem.

My asthma is not exercise induced and I only have problems with "chemicals" IE smoke, bleach etc... I am going to see a Doctor about my asthma and see if she can sign an Okay form to allow me to do my OW. what I am looking for is any other divers who have asthma or any suggestion on being a safe diver with Asthma... Also is it safe to dive with asthma as long as I do not push myself, has any one heard of any problems with anyone having an ashtma attack underwater.... and well any helpful ideas, hints or just a "just do it" would be welcome...

thank you!

 

[tc]

A bit of reading for you-

DAN Divers Alert Network : Asthma & Diving

 

[TSandM]

The article you were referred to is very good. It used to be that ANY degree of asthma was regarded as an absolute contraindication to diving. The reason for this is that asthma primarily works as an obstruction to air OUTFLOW from the lungs (rather than inflow). Trapping gas in the lungs while you are ascending from a dive is a recipe for an anterial gas embolism, which is one of the most injurious or lethal forms of decompression injury.

However, people like you (and me) who have symptoms only under well defined circumstances that are unlikely to occur while diving, are now felt to be safe to dive. You may have some difficulties with getting your primary care doc to sign off on you, because it's unlikely that person knows enough about diving to feel liability-safe in doing so. DAN may be able to refer you to a primary care doc or pulmonologist in your area who is dive-savvy, and will be able to assess whether your particular symptoms require any further evaluation before clearance.

 

[Kingpatzer]

Both my son and I have asthma and had no problems with diving. Our asthma is very well understood, is well controlled by medication, etc. Yes it exists as a real condition, but it is also the case that it is a problem roughly one month a year due to specific pollen allergies combined with cold air. And even in those cases upping the meds puts it on hold (though we still don't dive during that time frame -- which usually wouldn't happen anyway as the lakes are only partially iced and I either like open water or full iced over for my diving).

We checked with our allergist (who happens to be a diver and a DAN member) and he was perfectly ok with signing off on our diving.

If you have active asthma with attacks that happen even when on medication diving may not be for you, the very dry air from the tanks isn't the most gentle thing for your lungs to breath. But if it is mild and controlled, you may well be able to dive. Make sure your dr. gets in tough with DAN if he is not very familiar with diving himself (and if he is he'll still probably call DAN on his own).

 

[boulderjohn]

You may have some difficulties with getting your primary care doc to sign off on you, because it's unlikely that person knows enough about diving to feel liability-safe in doing so. DAN may be able to refer you to a primary care doc or pulmonologist in your area who is dive-savvy, and will be able to assess whether your particular symptoms require any further evaluation before clearance.

DAN will take care of this for you. They will refer you to diving-knowledgeable doctors in your area. You can consult with them personally, or you can give the list to your own doctor so that he or she can consult with them. (I did this myself for another medical situation.)

 

[jpsexton]

My son has Asthma and back when he first wanted to take up diving I talked to everyone I could and read everything I could get my hands on before I made a decision. (He was 13 or so at the time) Since his Asthma is allergy induced I decided (With a doctors input) that the risks were manageable. He can run a marathon as long as he doesn't have to run past a hayfield. As others have said call DAN, that's how I got in contact with a doctor that understood the specifics of diving.

 

[spacemanspiff1974]

I too have allergy induced asthma. I might be concerned about people who have activity induced asthma during a heavy swim. I've told my allergist that I am a diver and he doesn't have any problem with it.

My greatest asthma and diving related fear is that my tanks could be filled next to a group of dusty cats sitting on a pile of oak pollen.

 

[panamkat]

My doctor is fine with me diving as long as I take my medication. I did tell him that if I don't take my medicine, both pill and inhaled steroids, I need my rescue inhaler occasionally. He wrote that diving is fine if I take my medicine on the form. Since that's not a real restriction, no one has argued with accepting it. My advice is to be honest with your doctor and give him the information he needs to make an informed decision. If he has material that can support his decision, he'll feel better about making it! Safe diving!

 

[Crowley]

if I may give a perspective from a full time recreational instructor's point of view (i.e. mine).

disclaimer: I am not a physician or doctor but I have DAN senior level first aid training and a reasonably well-read understanding of the subject:

Asthma induced by allergies is unlikely to be a problem - there are very few cats down at 30 metres! However, asthma induced by physical excercise or cold would be almost entrirely contra-indicated to diving. I think the guidline stated that if an attack had not occured within 5 (?) years then it was safe to assume the condition had passed - after all many people have childhood asthma which does not occur later in life.

It is a *really* difficult decision for us to make, knowing that an asthma attack underwater would almost certainly be fatal. Many instructors and also divers out there may well not fully understand the risk. TSandM's post is of course spot on and I have accepted asthmatic divers for training in the past based on medical opinion.

Two weeks ago we had a walk-in customer who was in fact herself a doctor. She said on her RSTC medical that she was asthmatic. I told her she must get medical clearance (and from somebody else, not herself) and asked what induced her asthma. She replied that it only happened when she got a cold (something to do with suffereng bronchitis as a child). As per my disclaimer - I'm not a doctor, I'm a diving instructor and I had to insist that she get the opinion of a physician trained in hyperbaric medicine. I felt it was too much of a risk to take and had to turn her down.

Fortunately, our customer took it all in good humour but please do not be insulted if a DM or instructor turns you away, because they have to be comfortable that they are able to conduct an underwater experience in safety, and therefore if you do suffer from asthma, getting medical clearance from a recognised authority may go a long way to saving you time and money. DAN, whom I have a *great* amount of respect for, will be able to help you.

The fact that they took your money without reading the paperwork properly is not good though as it shows a lack of concern on their part. What if you *did* have exercise-induced asthma? A refund of some form - even for just the missed day - would have been in order, I think.

Safe (and informed) diving folks,

C.

 

[AceszHigh]

I have asthma and was worried about it being a contraindication to diving as well.. My asthma was very bad when I was much younger..as in 12 yrs old and under, but now it is well controlled with Advair 100/50 2x daily. Haven't had an asthma attack in years. My LDS made me go to my general physician to get him to sign off for me to dive...the DR. just did an EKG and Chest xray and said I was good to go.