The latest (full text article) -->
http://err.ersjournals.com/content/errev/25/140/214.full.pdf
The conclusions:
"While there is a strong theoretical risk of a serious complication from diving with asthma [42], real world
experience has shown that adverse events related to asthma and diving are rare. Because is it highly
unlikely that a randomised clinical trial could be conducted to answer this question, use of real world
experience, registry data and surveys are the only means to gain insight into the risk incurred by diving
with asthma or a history of asthma. To date, this approach has not identified an increased risk for divers
with asthma or a history of asthma. Indeed, this approach to using real world data has become more
common, particularly through analysis of propensity matched data from large registries. While there are
data describing small airway compression while diving, many of these studies were carried out at depths
deeper than the recommended recreational diving depths. Most sport divers limit dive depths to 130 feet
(39.6 m), and avoid stressful environments. Usually sport diving is conducted at an energy level of 3–
4 metabolic equivalents (METS), and a capacity for up to 6 METS would allow a diver to handle
occasional higher exercise demands [43, 44]. In advising any diver, prudence is always a key word to
ensure the diver understands that avoidance of stressful diving should always be a first consideration. This
approach to divers with asthma or a history of asthma should minimise any adverse events related to
diving with asthma. In general, the effects of the various changes induced by asthma are minimal in usual
sport diving exposure, in spite of the strong theoretical risk derived from physiological studies, which are
usually carried out at high workloads."
Cheers,
DocVikingo
This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual and should not be construed as such.