Diving on your 'PERIOD'

[ishbaby]

For 3 occasions, my menstrual period seems to always drop its timing on the day of the dive itself, if not the NIGHT before. And I hate to see myself sitting on the docks while everyone enjoyed diving, so I just go ahead and join my buddies, anyway IT does stop underwater.

Is there any negative physiological effects if you dive during your menstrual period, or it doesn't matter at all? Coz for me . . HECK im gonna GO diving! hehe. :05:

 

[Mike Veitch]

Hmmm, should i be answering this?!

I work with have have worked with lots of women over the years in the dive industry, 4 dives a day everyday for 9-12 weeks straight. When living on boats we are very open with each other as well, when you all live together that is what you do.

None of them ever had a problem of that nature....and believe me i would have known about it!! Roommates...

But i ain't a doc, just a viewpoint from experience

 

[Archangel]

There are a whole buncha questions that I would ask you if you were in front of me like. .
. . .How heavy is your menstrual flow? Do you use a tampon or a pad? Is your menstrual cycle consistent or irregular? what are you wearing for an exposure suit? How cold is the water? How deep are you diving?

I am not a dive medicine physician tho' the physiological trauma that our bodies experience when diving do stop surface blood flow to our arms and legs, and that is why we get cold.

Temporarily, you are not shedding your endometrial layer, and if you have an absorbent pad or tampon, what does get shedded will be absorbed.

I hope this helps, happy diving,

Tevis

 

[girldiverllc]

As far as diving with your “monthly visitor”...we girls don’t usually let this get in our way with the other activities in our lives, nor should it in the scuba realm. There are, of course, issues concerning hygiene, privacy and convenience, but if you can manage those, you can continue diving during this time, with a few considerations.

First, if your flow is extremely heavy, which is a consideration for women as we age, you want to be cautious about any superimposed anemia that could potentially limit the delivery of oxygen and impair your circulation. Lightheadedness underwater...not so good.

A study in 1997 found that 93% of active female divers continue to dive while menstruating, 71% have PMS symptoms and of those, up to 48% perceive a decrease in performance due to menstruation. Their self-perception was that they felt colder, had impaired reaction times, experienced more anxiety and felt more susceptible to nitrogen narcosis. If you’re experiencing severe cramps, headaches or other symptoms due to your period...you should obviously skip the dives until you feel top notch again.

As far as DCI, menstruation is not a contraindication to diving. In one recent study of 956 female divers experiencing DCI, 38% of those were menstruating at the time of their injury. Interestingly, 85% of those taking oral contraceptives were menstruating at the time of their accident. This suggests, but does not prove, that women taking oral contraceptives may be at increased risk of DCI during menstruation.

In all...diving a bit more conservatively during your period may be wiser...but skipping a dive due to your period??? If you feel great...go visit the fish!

GIRLDIVER
http://girldiver.com

 

[ScubaBabe22]

Hahah, i love the fact that guys replied to this thread...I dive with my period and have never felt adverse effects or more concerns... tampons are a fantastic invention (sorry boys). I even felt a little better for getting some exercise rather sitting by the pool with cramps.

 

[scubamickey]

The Pill is also a great invention. The flow is cranked down to hardly anything, you will never get your period on the weekends and if you continue taking it through the month you will go period free for 2 months. This is what I do every year during my annual 2-3 week vacation.

But I have no risk factors. I am not overweight, don't smoke, and have no history of any breast or cervical cancer in my family. We also don't want any children. Talk with your Gyn and see if it's right for you.

Darn...that sounded like a commercial.

 

[ch0ppersrule]

no problems here. sometimes I wonder about the sharks but have never been bothered by one (as a matter of fact the little boogers keep hiding especially when I bring my camera).

 

[ishbaby]

thank gawd it stops underwater, else we'd really be shark baits . . . lol

 

[Giggi]

First trip to Coz...in fact first open water dives, and wouldn't you know I got my damn period. Fortunately for me, we had a few more seasoned female divers in the group, and apparently I wasn't the only one who happened to get it that weekend. The first thing mentioned to me was to not worry about sharks, because this is probably the most common question regarding diving during one's monthly. The physiology behind that logic is that tampons (and the keeper, so I've read) keep the fluids inside the body cavity underwater just as they do above water, so leakage shouldn't be an issue.

On a personal note, I am prone to moderate cramping and noticed that diving actually lessened the discomfort, and not just during and immediately after the dives, but during the entire time we were there. So if you ask my completely non-medical opinion, I would say that diving during one's period can be beneficial.

 

[garyfotodiver]

Hahah, i love the fact that guys replied to this thread...I dive with my period and have never felt adverse effects or more concerns... tampons are a fantastic invention (sorry boys). I even felt a little better for getting some exercise rather sitting by the pool with cramps.

We guys have to deal with the effects as well.

Took my 15 year-old daughter diving two weeks ago. She was not affected in a negative way.