Cough after Diving

[Megan Moore]

I got my Open Water last Wednesday, but on Thursday morning I woke up with my chest feeling a little tight and I've since developed a cough - I don't have any chest pain - and this has persisted for the last 3 days.

I have ordered a coronavirus test, but I am pretty sure it is not that as I don't have any other symptoms (eg fever, sore throat) and my cough feels quite wet generally, or at least like it is shifting something in my chest.

My question is, do I have anything to worry about? I was fully supervised by an instructor, so I don't think I have a risk of ascending too quickly or anything like that and I didn't experience any pain or tightness while I was actually diving. But, since I'm new to scuba diving, I am a little worried that this cough could signal something more serious.

Thanks in advance

 

[Zef]

I think your best course of action should be to seek an evaluation from competent medical professionals....go to a doctor.

That being said, the air from a dive cylinder is very dry and can cause or exacerbate bronchitis like symptoms. Often bronchitis, once it starts, can be difficult to get rid of. The fact that your condition has been ongoing for 3 days does not surprise me but it is nonetheless concerning and should it continue to persist or get worse then you should go see a doc. Sooner is better than later.

-Z

 

[Stoo]

I agree with @Zef.

Have you ever had a pulmonary function test? You may have something like a borderline asthma condition. The dry air can cause that sort of response as well.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

I got my Open Water last Wednesday, but on Thursday morning I woke up with my chest feeling a little tight and I've since developed a cough - I don't have any chest pain - and this has persisted for the last 3 days.

I have ordered a coronavirus test, but I am pretty sure it is not that as I don't have any other symptoms (eg fever, sore throat) and my cough feels quite wet generally, or at least like it is shifting something in my chest.

My question is, do I have anything to worry about? I was fully supervised by an instructor, so I don't think I have a risk of ascending too quickly or anything like that and I didn't experience any pain or tightness while I was actually diving. But, since I'm new to scuba diving, I am a little worried that this cough could signal something more serious.

Thanks in advance

Hi Megan,

How old are you, and are you under a doctor's care for anything?

From your description it doesn't sound like this is decompression-related, that is, you probably don't have decompression sickness unless your dive profile was way outside the norm for an open-water checkout dive. That said, the temporal relationship to your dive indicates that something in the dive could have been a factor. That "something" might be hard to pin down - it could be anything from a respiratory bug picked up from a poorly sanitized regulator to a developing pneumonia related to a pinhole leak in the regulator diaphragm or mouthpiece. In today's climate a COVID test is probably reasonable, and I would certainly seek medical attention if the cough gets any worse or you develop other symptoms.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[JahJahwarrior]

Of course the CYA answer is always see a doctor, and I would never discourage that--but it's also very likely that the two factors are unrelated.

If you are able to breathe fine, I would do a few days of traditional cold care before seeing a doctor. Expectorant, plenty of fluids, nice tea with some lemon and honey, painkillers, and see if it starts to resolve in 2-3 days, which is typical timing for a typical cold.

If it's not responding as colds normally do, then it can be something more serious, but I would not overreact to minor cold symptoms after an open water class, and I would not worry about diving again in the future once your head is clear again. Praying that your covid test comes back negative and your health comes back ASAP!

 

[Zef]

...and see if it starts to resolve in 2-3 days, which is typical timing for a typical cold.

The common cold, without treatment, lasts about 14 days. With treatment, it only lasts about 2 weeks.


-Z

 

[cerich]

Hi Megan,

How old are you, and are you under a doctor's care for anything?

From your description it doesn't sound like this is decompression-related, that is, you probably don't have decompression sickness unless your dive profile was way outside the norm for an open-water checkout dive. That said, the temporal relationship to your dive indicates that something in the dive could have been a factor. That "something" might be hard to pin down - it could be anything from a respiratory bug picked up from a poorly sanitized regulator to a developing pneumonia related to a pinhole leak in the regulator diaphragm or mouthpiece. In today's climate a COVID test is probably reasonable, and I would certainly seek medical attention if the cough gets any worse or you develop other symptoms.

Best regards,
DDM

I know you are Duke..but curious why you didn't mention possible IPE?

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

I know you are Duke..but curious why you didn't mention possible IPE?

Great question! From the OP's description, the symptom onset time is not consistent with IPE. If she'd had IPE she would have been symptomatic while still immersed. Also, relatively mild symptoms like hers would clear soon after exiting the water, and hers had been going on for three days at the time of the original post.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[JahJahwarrior]

2-3 days...2 weeks...close enough for government work.
I didn't explain that well, I was adding the 3 days of symptoms plus my 2-3 days, and in 6 days you should know pretty clearly it's just a common cold and the light at the end of the tunnel is near.

When I get a cold, I often end up coughing for a month or more. Happens about once a year. Runs in the family, terribly annoying but I guess it could be worse.

I think we also see a lot of posts about fatigue after diving, as it can be a symptom of a dive related illness, but it's also common to engage muscles that are rarely used, while spending all day on a hot dive boat rocking in the sun while carrying scuba tanks, and feel tired at the end of the day.

Any update Megan Moore? Hope you are feeling better and planning your next dive trip!