Chest Cold

[scubajb]

Good morning! Have a general question for you all. OK, I am traveling to Key Largo a week from Friday for 3 days of diving (Sat, Sun, Mon). This last Thursday, I had a chest cold set in. It is not a "bad" one but chest is still definitely tight. Going to a doc this morning for meds to see if I can get it knocked out (although there are not a lot of dive physicians in my area)

Saying that, and I am not asking for individual medical advice here, what is the general rule for diving after a chest cold? Obviously if I still have it, I won't be diving. I was reading DAN's review and it said that generally it is ok to dive afterwards as long as all symptoms have ceased. I really want to dive. I want to be safe even more...

Any information on this topic would be great!

Jim

 

[johnny_bravo]

Tough call...I've had that scenario happen to me before...if I can equalize my nasal and sinus cavities and the coughing is mild at worst I usually go for it.

Good luck.

Cheers.

-J.-

 

[spectrum]

Dan's advice makes good sense and make sure you physician understands diving physiology.

The big risk is not about coughing or even the typical malaise that can come with a cold. The big risk is that in a congested chest air may become trapped in lung spaces while at depth and they will not equalize freely on ascent. The result can be a potentially fatal embolism.

Pete

My the way, medically I'm a nobody.

 

[Buoyant1]

I've had one for the past two weeks and haven't been wet...I'm not risking it.

Mine has been sporadic with the congestion, and some mornings it's affecting my ears...so I'm staying dry until it clears.

 

[TSandM]

With a viral respiratory infection, there are really several issues that can pertain to diving.

First is what we all know well, which is the ability to equalize ears and sinuses. The ability to clear ears is pretty easy to test on land, and if you can't equalize on land, or only with significant difficulty, it's probably not a good idea to get in the water. Sinus congestion is more difficult to assess and probably more something each individual has to learn about himself. Mild congestion may be fine, severe plugging is obviously not, but there's a lot of middle ground where you have to decide for yourself whether it's worth the risk of a block.

The second issue is lung congestion. This can involve mucous plugging of the airways, swelling of the lining of the airways, and bronchoconstriction (which is the phenomenon causing much of the problem with asthma). As spectrum said above, the big danger is air trapping and arterial gas embolism. If one is coughing up large amounts of sputum, or has a significant wheezing component to the cough, then it's definitely time to stay out of the water. Toward the end of the illness, when the cough is mild and dry, it's more likely to be safe, but one still has to recognize whether there is a bronchospastic component to the cough. Some of us have what's known as "reactive airways disease", which is an asthma-like process associated with viral illnesses. Although not true asthma, it has the same risks for a diver.

The third problem is the potential effects on the inner ear. Respiratory viruses can involve the semicircular canals, which determine your balance. Any sense of wooziness or instability on your feet could translate into vertigo in the water.

Hope that's useful information.

 

[scubajb]

Thanks for the information guys. I tried all morning trying to find a doc in the area with some dive knowledge, to no avail. I guess I will get in to my family doc and see if I can get some meds to work on it. If I am coughing or wheezing when I go down, I will be drinking "Miami Vices" on the dive boat! I want to dive. But I REALLY want to be safe...

 

[scubajb]

Thanks for the information guys. I tried all morning trying to find a doc in the area with some dive knowledge, to no avail. I guess I will get in to my family doc and see if I can get some meds to work on it. If I am coughing or wheezing when I go down, I will be drinking "Miami Vices" on the dive boat! I want to dive. But I REALLY want to be safe...

 

[scubajb]

Thanks for the information guys. I tried all morning trying to find a doc in the area with some dive knowledge, to no avail. I guess I will get in to my family doc and see if I can get some meds to work on it. If I am coughing or wheezing when I go down, I will be drinking "Miami Vices" on the dive boat! I want to dive. But I REALLY want to be safe...