Diving and Meniere's Disease

[Oceanfan]

I've been looking into learning how to dive but I have been diagnosed with Meniere's Disease (inner ear abnormality causing vertigo and nausea). I take histamine injections weekly which control the symptoms but I'm not sure if it would be safe for me to take up this sport.

I've asked my dr about it and he "thinks" it would be safe as long as I didn't descend below 30 feet. Does this make any sense?

I'd deeply appreciate (pun intended) any advice or input on this.

Thanks much

Brian

 

[Web Monkey]

I've been looking into learning how to dive but I have been diagnosed with Meniere's Disease (inner ear abnormality causing vertigo and nausea). I take histamine injections weekly which control the symptoms but I'm not sure if it would be safe for me to take up this sport.

I've asked my dr about it and he "thinks" it would be safe as long as I didn't descend below 30 feet. Does this make any sense?

I have no idea if it's safe or not, however I can guess by the "30'" remark that your doctor doesn't either, since there's nothing magic about 30'

The link below might help, but in any case, I'd get a referral from DAN (DAN Divers Alert Network) for a doc that actually knows about what you have and whether or not you can dive with it.

DAN Divers Alert Network

Terry

 

[DevonDiver]

I have seen these "it's ok to dive to xxx depth" remarks several times now from doctors that my customers have consulted.

As previously posted...it only serves to illustrates that Dr's ignorance of diving medicine.

A customer once told me that their GP had told them that their asthma wasn't a concern when diving, because the "oxygen tank" wouldn't contain anything that would trigger an attack. Of course, the cronic asthmatic concerned was still in considerable risk from AGE due to potential lung weaknesses caused by years of attacks...

Diving medicine is a very specialised field...and it is best to seek out a doctor qualified in that specialism to get accurate and informed advice.

 

[Web Monkey]

I've been looking into learning how to dive but I have been diagnosed with Meniere's Disease (inner ear abnormality causing vertigo and nausea). I take histamine injections weekly which control the symptoms but I'm not sure if it would be safe for me to take up this sport.

Another reason to get a referral to a diving doc is to get a second opinion. You might or might not actually have what the first doc says you do.

Also, you don't have to be a DAN member to get a referral.

Terry

 

[Oceanfan]

Wow! Am I ever surprised to see how fast my question was answered. I just put in for a referral on the DAN site. I will keep you informed on the progress. It is my sincere hope that I'll be able to dive safely, it would be wonderful to join the Diver community. I am amazed on how tight knit and knowledgeable you are.

Thanks for the good info.

 

[ScubaDocER]

I've been looking into learning how to dive but I have been diagnosed with Meniere's Disease (inner ear abnormality causing vertigo and nausea). I take histamine injections weekly which control the symptoms but I'm not sure if it would be safe for me to take up this sport.

I've asked my dr about it and he "thinks" it would be safe as long as I didn't descend below 30 feet. Does this make any sense?

I'd deeply appreciate (pun intended) any advice or input on this.

Thanks much

Brian

Hello Brian. It's an interesting question that you have posed. It may have been asked in the Diving Medicine section. In order to better answer your question, I would ask for some clarification. How severe are the attacks that you have? When was your last attack? How frequently do they occur? Are you compliant with your medication? Do the histamine injections give you any side effects (drop in blood pressure, swelling, etc.)?

I would suggest you contact a Neurologist or an ENT physician. While it helps if the doc is a diver, it is not mandatory. Make them aware of your desire to dive and elicit their opinions. It is important to discuss the issue with someone who is well versed in managing Meniere's and the effects that depth may have on it (if they are known).

Intuitively, I would be concerned about the extent that the dizziness would have on your ability to focus and concentrate while diving. Diving can be a multitasking event and being too dizzy to focus or to be a competent dive buddy or to be self sufficient can be a cause for concern. That may be a question that only you can answer.

 

[Oceanfan]

Doctor:

I was diagnosed approximately 7 years ago. Till that diagnosis was made, I would have frequent severe vertigo (difficulty or unable to stand) occasional nausea and tinnitus in my right ear. I have not had a major attack of vertigo or nausea since I started the histamine treatment. I do, however, still have occasional tinnitus, but nowhere near the frequency or intensity (loudness of the ringing) that I had previously.

I am extremely careful with compliance to the histamine and have drastically reduced my caffeine intake per my doctor's orders. but I do occasionally experience a mild lightheadedness, but it occurs less than once per month and passes within 5-10 minutes.

Your intuitive question is one that I've pondered. I would never dive alone and to be honest, I worry about having an attack that would potentially endanger a dive partner, either coming to my aid or them needing my help but unable to do so due to an attack.

Maybe you just settled the issue for me. How much do you charge for a house call?

 

[TSandM]

Welcome, oceanfan!

I don't have medical advice for you -- I couldn't find anything on a quick search on Meniere's and diving. But I have some personal experience with vertigo, and I can tell you that vertigo underwater is both extremely unpleasant and potentially dangerous. I don't have Meniere's, but I have a strong tendency to disorientation in midwater, when bereft of a visual reference. I have had experiences of somersaulting and losing all sense of where up is, and losing buoyancy control and shooting to the surface (very dangerous!) With the fluid shifts that go along with diving, I'd be quite concerned about the possibility of stirring up symptoms from Meniere's -- at the very least, I'd go through my certification class and stay quite shallow for a long time, to make sure your ears aren't going to sabotage you underwater.

We do have a resident ENT doc here, and perhaps he has better information and will weigh in on this topic. I hate to discourage ANYONE from diving, but being disoriented underwater is not a pleasant experience.

 

[wve]

I've been looking into learning how to dive but I have been diagnosed with Meniere's Disease (inner ear abnormality causing vertigo and nausea).

I think you will find that the answer to your question is not black-and-white. It is not so much whether or not you have the condition, but how bad the symptoms are.

My wife has Meniere's Disease, and she dives. When we decided to take up the sport, we were worried on two counts. First, we were worried about the susceptibility to motion sickness. Because Meniere's is often accompanied by hearing loss (one ear in her case), there is also the risk that barotrauma to the good ear could leave her deaf.

I am not an ENT doctor, but I am a doctor who dives, so we were able to educate the ENT doctor enough to get reasonable answers. Still, in the end it boiled down to her own assessment of how severe the symptoms can get, along with her willingness to assume the risks.

Most of the time, it does not bother her. Only twice has she had problems beneath the surface. Once was when she was at a platform and there were several divers beneath us. The sudden appearance of bubbles all around got her disoriented, and she became dizzy and nauseated. The other time was when we were in shallow water where there was a strong surge. The back-and-forth motion made her suddenly nauseated. We were able to surface, and upon the surface, she threw up and could not dive the rest of the day.

So on 2 dives out of more than 100, she has had some problems. Both of those were earlier in her diving career. With experience, she has learned how to avoid situations that might lead to vertigo. As her buddy, I am also aware of the factors that get to her, and we try avoid those triggers.

She still has problems with small boats in rough seas, but does okay if she takes medication (Bonine).

This is NOT to recommend that you take up diving, only to say that if you really, really want to, you might be able to do it. It is a judgment call. If a good scuba-aware ENT doctor gives you clearance, then it will ultimately be up to you to decide whether you want to try.

 

[Oceanfan]

Dr, thanks for the great information. Maybe I can buy a second or third hand ADS Hardsuit and not worry about potential barotrauma, LOL!