jva
Registered
I have a question regarding the possibility of an ASD; I will first try to describe all events leading to this question in detail between the dashes, but for my question(s) just skip to the end (and keep in mind English is not my mother tongue).
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I spent last week in the Red Sea doing 13 dives over the course of 5 days, maximum depths ranging from 11m to 25m. I use a suunto gekko computer and stayed well within time and ascent rate limits, with one exception, most dives lasted about an hour. The exception was that on the third day my bcd inflator 'free-flowed' at a depth of about 12m and I ascended faster than 10m/sec for about one second until I got the inflator hose disconnected and purged the air out of my bcd (cleaned it well and am having it serviced).
On the last day I did two dives, the first to 15m and the second to 16m.
Both dives I slowly followed the reef down, staying around 15m for about 15 minutes and then very slowly followed the reef back up, and that way also had a long safetystop (about 10 minutes at 6-4m). The dives lasted about 45 minutes (I didn't want to do longer, deeper, or more dives because I was flying the next day - about 30 hours after the last dive - but this is not relevant). I definately stayed well within time and ascent rate limits.
After about 30 minutes a Cardiology Lecturer from the Ain Sams University asked me if I would like to participate in his research - something about bubbles in divers. He was there with another docter and I am quite sure they did an echocardiogram.
During the echocardiogram he said something like 'he has bubbles in the left atrium'. I asked if they thought I could have a patent foramen ovale. After some more echocardiogramming and replaying the footage and determining from another kind of diagram that there were two bubbles in ten cycles(?), which was pronounced not that bad along with asking for my age - seventeen, asking me if I had ever had symptoms of DCS - not that I know of - he concluded that I could have an ASD (there was a brief discussion between the two between PFO and ASD). He will e-mail me the diagrams when he gets back to an internet connection.
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Back home I went to my doctor who listened to my hartbeat and told me there was no murmur at all, and that he could not imagine I could have an ASD, also noting that I don't have any problems in doing sports.
After reading some more about ASD's and PFO's, I think coming to the conclusion of an ASD is very strange, because there is no murmur (and never has been).
I understand this would be possible with a PFO (that is not an ASD), because the FO could be sealed temporarily, during the examination for example, but just not with an ASD. Also, I don't have trouble doing sports, etc. and I have never had symptoms of DCS after diving.
Still there were, according to the Egyptian docter (who could be good, but who knows..), bubbles visible in the left atrium on the echocardiogram (I didn't see them, but I didn't have a clue what to look for)
I will get this checked out as soon as possible with a test that does show for sure, but I'm afraid it can take several weeks before I will know anything.
Is it possible to have an ASD, even if there are no murmurs?
How well educated do you think Egyption docters are? (I have had some pretty bad experiences with African docters in the past..)
What can the consequences of diving with a PFO be? 'Just' DCS, or even worse?
I understand that these venous bubbles only exist after a dive of significant depth and bottom time, so in theory would it be safe for the time being to dive no deeper than 10m for instance?
EDIT - note that I have been to my physician and will have some more conclusive tests deemed necescary done, but I would like some answers from people who know more specifically about diving medicine. I will not rely on anything posted for medical advice, but I just need some answers.
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I spent last week in the Red Sea doing 13 dives over the course of 5 days, maximum depths ranging from 11m to 25m. I use a suunto gekko computer and stayed well within time and ascent rate limits, with one exception, most dives lasted about an hour. The exception was that on the third day my bcd inflator 'free-flowed' at a depth of about 12m and I ascended faster than 10m/sec for about one second until I got the inflator hose disconnected and purged the air out of my bcd (cleaned it well and am having it serviced).
On the last day I did two dives, the first to 15m and the second to 16m.
Both dives I slowly followed the reef down, staying around 15m for about 15 minutes and then very slowly followed the reef back up, and that way also had a long safetystop (about 10 minutes at 6-4m). The dives lasted about 45 minutes (I didn't want to do longer, deeper, or more dives because I was flying the next day - about 30 hours after the last dive - but this is not relevant). I definately stayed well within time and ascent rate limits.
After about 30 minutes a Cardiology Lecturer from the Ain Sams University asked me if I would like to participate in his research - something about bubbles in divers. He was there with another docter and I am quite sure they did an echocardiogram.
During the echocardiogram he said something like 'he has bubbles in the left atrium'. I asked if they thought I could have a patent foramen ovale. After some more echocardiogramming and replaying the footage and determining from another kind of diagram that there were two bubbles in ten cycles(?), which was pronounced not that bad along with asking for my age - seventeen, asking me if I had ever had symptoms of DCS - not that I know of - he concluded that I could have an ASD (there was a brief discussion between the two between PFO and ASD). He will e-mail me the diagrams when he gets back to an internet connection.
--
Back home I went to my doctor who listened to my hartbeat and told me there was no murmur at all, and that he could not imagine I could have an ASD, also noting that I don't have any problems in doing sports.
After reading some more about ASD's and PFO's, I think coming to the conclusion of an ASD is very strange, because there is no murmur (and never has been).
I understand this would be possible with a PFO (that is not an ASD), because the FO could be sealed temporarily, during the examination for example, but just not with an ASD. Also, I don't have trouble doing sports, etc. and I have never had symptoms of DCS after diving.
Still there were, according to the Egyptian docter (who could be good, but who knows..), bubbles visible in the left atrium on the echocardiogram (I didn't see them, but I didn't have a clue what to look for)
I will get this checked out as soon as possible with a test that does show for sure, but I'm afraid it can take several weeks before I will know anything.
Is it possible to have an ASD, even if there are no murmurs?
How well educated do you think Egyption docters are? (I have had some pretty bad experiences with African docters in the past..)
What can the consequences of diving with a PFO be? 'Just' DCS, or even worse?
I understand that these venous bubbles only exist after a dive of significant depth and bottom time, so in theory would it be safe for the time being to dive no deeper than 10m for instance?
EDIT - note that I have been to my physician and will have some more conclusive tests deemed necescary done, but I would like some answers from people who know more specifically about diving medicine. I will not rely on anything posted for medical advice, but I just need some answers.
