Asthma and Diving

[amadeus00]

My gf has asthma and I am a little concerned about her diving. Her attacks occure once a years and the triggers are allergies. These attacks constrict her breathing passage almost completely. She'll get a slight wheeze when she exercises. She's done her open water with no problems. I just want to be prepared if something happens in the water.
*Is it a good idea to take a couple breaths of her inhalers before a dive just to open her lungs up a little?
*If for some reason she has a major attack what should I do?

 

[NINman]

Good questions, I am going to keep my eye on this thread. My wife and I both started doing SCUBA but she droped out about mid way though. She has asthma and I have the very same concerns. She has came to me with the notion of wanting to give it another shot. Let see what others have to say.

 

[Mako Mark]

There has been a relaxing of ideas on asthma and diving over recent years. It used to be if you are 84 and you had you last attack aged 4, that you still couldnt go, not the RSTC asks do you have active asthma? (which is subjective).

If your girlfriend or you are concerned, you can have what is called a provocation test from a hyperbaric doc, where they try to induce an attack to kind of measure the likey hood of it occuring due to exercize or inhaled moisture/cold air.

I often get the answer "I am alergic to cherry blossom in Tokyo" or "air pollution is Mexico City", and I ask them if they have it now, and are theynear the source of their particular allergy.....

If in doubt, visit a hyprebaric doc, the area is so specialised that most doctors have little or no knowledge about fitness for diving.

 

[femmedelamer]

How does one find a hyperbaric doc? Should I just start calling around to respiratory therapists or internal med docs? I am allergic to cats (so not likely to encounter one underwater) but also get wheezy if running in cold weather. But I MUST dive! How do I get this testing?

 

[zboss]

My gf has asthma and I am a little concerned about her diving. Her attacks occure once a years and the triggers are allergies. These attacks constrict her breathing passage almost completely. She'll get a slight wheeze when she exercises. She's done her open water with no problems. I just want to be prepared if something happens in the water.
*Is it a good idea to take a couple breaths of her inhalers before a dive just to open her lungs up a little?
*If for some reason she has a major attack what should I do?

the doctor won't say "you can't dive" but what they will do is try and get her to a point where - regardless of when/where/how the asthma kicks in - she is OK to dive. But this may take a year or two of observation and discussion with the same Doctor.

Short acting inhalers only act on some parts of the lung and don't last long. She probably needs to be put on a maintenance drug. Besides - she will feel MUCH better by doing so.