Divers who smoke

[SHARKBAIT94]

I’m still new to diving only have a couple of dive under my belt, but I wonder what does smoking cigarettes do to a diver besides the known usual info. With out stating the obvious I.e. It will kill you, destroys lungs, pollutes air, heavy breathing, depleting air quicker. I mean what are some of the ill effect of a smoker being under water. Before any one wants to lecture me yes I smoke ok I smoke!! Yes I know “I” should quit, Yes I know it bad for me and YOU NONE SMOKERS I’m trying to and have cut back a lot. Being a firefighter and medic its all around me and makes it even harder at times so let it rest at that. All I would like to know is what are the ill effects. All I ever hear is cigarette smoke, caffeine and alcohol are not wise choices for divers. I understand the alcohol and caffeine with dehydration and the other effects that accompany the use of caffeine and alcohol but not nicotine. Any and all facts and maybe some speculation and answers greatly appreciated. Lectures and comments are not needed or welcomed.

 

[theskull]

There is not a single ingredient in a cigarette that is even suspected of being good for you!

Having absorbed that toxic potion of chemicals and gases into your blood stream, now you descend beneath the water and let the elevated partial pressures and high concentrations of Nitrogen, CO2, O2, etc. interact with them. Can this be good?

I'm sure some highly technical answers will follow, but you are already a medic and know better. Good luck with your desire to quit!

theskull

 

[dlndavid]

Smoked for many years, diving for one year. Just quit and all the money you save, buy dive gear and trips.

 

[Rick Murchison]

There are several direct affects of smoking that increase your risk of a diving accident.
(1) The cillia that sweep the mucous (and all the other crud trapped in the mucous) out of your lungs are paralysed by tobacco smoke for at least 10-15 minutes after exposure, so all the mucous just sits there, and all the new mucous the lung tissues produce to capture dust & stuff just piles up. If you happen to get a mucous plug in a bronchiole, you can rupture lung tissue on ascent even though you are breathing constantly. Smoking increases the probablity of such a plug exponentially.
(2) The CO in tobacco smoke binds hemoglobin and hinders oxygen transport to the tissues - including the brain. This exacerbates narcosis along with all the other physiological detriments it causes on the surface.
(3) Nicotine itself has a narcotic affect, further enhancing narcosis.
(4) Smokers tend to have a higher blood CO2 level than non-smokers. CO2 retention is implicated in headaches, increased risk of DCS and lowered tolerance to Oxygen toxicity.
Bottom line: Diving is an excellent reason to quit smoking.
S (last cigarette 31 October, 1987)

 

[SHARKBAIT94]

Those are the answers I was looking for, SPHYRNA thank you. You expertise have not and will not fall on def ears. I kind of had some of those answer in the back of my brain while searching my text books but could not come up with any medical reason as to why other then yes we all know smoking is bad, with immediate out come of bad breath, smell tooth decay gum receding but the only long term reaction I got was, copd, chf , lung ca, emphysema, but nothing immediate related to divers. When I was looking at my text of the upper respiratory I could see and understand about the mucous blocking ducts and so fourth but I could not really employee any of my medical training to scuba diving. One would almost look at well with a constant flow of filtered comp air with what 21% o2 one would this to be not a concern. Then on the other hand with filtered comp air with very little to no moister that would dry out the bronchiole and alveolar and passage ways leading to maybe a uri or pneumonia but no detrimental heath concerns that I could come up with or get a straight answer on other then the obvious reasons to quit smoking. Sphyrna I appreciate your straight answers. With little to no lecture involved but a straight shot from the hip.

 

[Azza]

There are several direct affects of smoking that increase your risk of a diving accident.
(1) The cillia that sweep the mucous (and all the other crud trapped in the mucous) out of your lungs are paralysed by tobacco smoke for at least 10-15 minutes after exposure, so all the mucous just sits there, and all the new mucous the lung tissues produce to capture dust & stuff just piles up. If you happen to get a mucous plug in a bronchiole, you can rupture lung tissue on ascent even though you are breathing constantly. Smoking increases the probablity of such a plug exponentially.

(2) The CO in tobacco smoke binds hemoglobin and hinders oxygen transport to the tissues - including the brain. This exacerbates narcosis along with all the other physiological detriments it causes on the surface.

Carbon Monoxide binds with hemoglobin 200 times easier in fact. Not good for offgassing either.

(3) Nicotine itself has a narcotic affect, further enhancing narcosis.
(4) Smokers tend to have a higher blood CO2 level than non-smokers. CO2 retention is implicated in headaches, increased risk of DCS and lowered tolerance to Oxygen toxicity.
Bottom line: Diving is an excellent reason to quit smoking.
S (last cigarette 31 October, 1987)

Also smoking destroys "Surfactant" which is a coating on the inside of your bronchioles and alveoli that stop them sticking together when they collapse,a s they do when you breathe right out. Bad JuJu can happen if they stick together...

I smoked and dived for 2 years before giving it away. Diving simply became more important to me than smoking. I understand about finding it hard to give away though, even 18 months later i feel like something is missing from my life. It was like giving up a good woman...