Heart problems - Atrial Fibrillation.

[kelfish]

A few years ago I had a couple of trial divers and loved it. I would not like to learn to dive and possibly eventually get to instructor level. I am in my 40s.

However, I have recently suffered my second bout of atrial fibrillation (irregular heart beats rather than rapid heart beats) which has been control by drugs and righted itself but I have been told that it could reoccur. Does this preclude me from learning to dive and what effect would it likely have upon learning and getting to instructor level.

Many thanks in advance for any assistance or advice given.

 

[TSandM]

kelfish, there is no simple answer to your question. Atrial fibrillation runs a gamut from an occasional, well-tolerated tachycardia, to serious heart disease and heart failure. Without knowing the cause of your AFib, and without knowing what your symptoms were when you had it, and without knowing anything about your health otherwise, it's simply impossible to say.

Given your age, have they discussed ablation with you? It's certainly something I'd advise a patient to ask about, if they were having repeated bouts of AF and were as young as you are.

 

[boulderjohn]

Here is a summary of heart issues from the Divers Alert Network (DAN).

I will excerpt the relevant section here:

Dysrhythmias

Description of Condition: The term "dysrhythmia" means abnormal heartbeat and is used to describe a wide range of conditions ranging from benign, non-pathologic conditions to severe, life-threatening rhythm disturbances. More familiar to many people is the term "arrhythmia," which literally means "no heartbeat."

...

Physiologically significant extra heartbeats may originate in the upper chambers of the heart (supraventricular tachycardia or atrial dysrhythmia) or in the lower chambers of the heart (ventricular tachycardia). The cause may be due to a short-circuit or an extra conduction pathway for the impulse or secondary to some other cardiac pathology. People who have episodes or periods of rapid heartbeat are at risk for losing consciousness during these events. There are also conditions where the person has a fairly stable dysrhythmia (e.g., fixed atrial fibrillation), but they usually have additional cardiovascular and other health problems that coincide with their rhythm disturbance. A slow heart rate or heart block may cause symptoms, too.

Fitness and Diving Issue: The more serious dysrhythmias, like ventricular tachycardia and many types of atrial rhythm disturbances, are incompatible with diving. The risk for any person developing a dysrhythmia during a dive is, of course, losing consciousness while underwater. Supraventricular tachycardias are unpredictable in onset and are often triggered by immersing the face in cold water. Someone who has had more than one episode of this type of dysrhythmia should not dive.

An individual with any cardiac dysrhythmia needs a complete medical evaluation by a cardiologist prior to engaging in scuba diving. In some cases, thorough conduction (electrophysiologic) studies can identify an abnormal conduction pathway and the problem can be corrected. Recently, doctors and researchers have determined that people with some dysrhythmias (e.g., certain types of Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome) may safely participate in diving after a thorough evaluation by a cardiologist. Also, in select cases, some people with stable atrial dysrhythmias (e.g., uncomplicated atrial fibrillation) may dive safely if a cardiologist determines that there are no other significant health problems.

Medication Used in Treatment: Most dysrhythmias that require medication are medically disqualifying for safe diving. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis in consultation with a cardiologist and diving medical officer.

 

[kelfish]

Thanks for the responses. If anybody has anything else to add please feel free.

I know the onset is quite young and the doctors are not sure what the cause is (one thought I was an alcoholic despite the fact I drink rarely and never to excess). I am, however, quite fit and cycle everyday.

I will probably have to see a cardiologist.

 

[Carol202]

Kelfish,

I've been in a similar boat. I had heart surgery when I was 18 due to an undiscovered hole in my heart. A few months after surgery my cardiologist cleared me for diving. Before and after the heart surgery, I also had palpitations. I never talked with a doctor about diving with this condition, I just did it (I wouldn't advise you to). I tried for a long time to figure out what caused my palpitations and had doctors all but accuse me of being an alcoholic. After 10 years of trying to get the palpitations on EKG or a Holter monitor, I finally was successful when they started while I was walking by an emergency room. I finally got referred to a cardiologist. Once that happened, I was sent in for an ablation and I am so happy I did that. The ablation was fairly easy to go through and it got rid of my palpitations altogether. My ablation was in 1998, and I know the procedure has been improved much since. I now see a cardiologist about once every three years because my hearty is healthy after all I've been through. I have had ultrasound and micro-bubble tests to make sure I don't have any leaks or conditions that could cause issues when diving.

I recommend you find yourself a good cardiologist that understands diving and track down the source of your fibrilation. They may have to do a cardiac cath and ablation to find and cure it. This is not only essential for diving, but as other folks have said, you are young; you have a long life ahead of you. I just hope you have good insurance.

 

[TSandM]

It really is important to get to the bottom of this. Your atrial fib may have been provoked by abnormal electrical connections in your heart, or it may be a secondary event as a result of abnormal thyroid levels or other problems. Or, in the worst case, it could be an early warning of something structurally wrong with the heart (cardiomyopathy of some kind). It is really a good idea to get a thorough evaluation and to do what you can to avoid the rhythm, for quite a list of reasons.

 

[Dr. Doug Ebersole]

As a cardiologist as well as a techical and CCR instructor, I agee with the above posts. Don't get advice here. Contact a good cardiologist in your area -- preferably an electrophysiologist -- who can discuss the issues of etiology, prognosis, and therapeutic options of atrial fibrillation with you. Diving with atrial fibrillation is not usually a problem. However, if the cardiologist you see is not comfortable with the issues related to diving, contact DAN for a referral in your area or feel free to contact me anytime. Just PM me and I'll give you my email and cell number.

Doug

 

[sheeper]

bottom line is all advice here is useless to you. The only sensible thing to do is to seek the advice of a physician who is familiar with dive medicine. DAN can likely refer you to someone if you local hospital cannot.

 

[Carol202]

I think there is lots of great advice here. Almost every poster on this thread said follow-up with a cardiologist is needed. The posts have been very informative and included different conditions that do and don't prohibit diving, and what to look for in a doctor.

 

[farsidefan1]

I had open heart surgery (triple bypass) June of last summer but continued to have some A Fib. I had an ablation December 26th and am seeing my cardiologist Monday. Before the procedure I asked if it was the end of my dive life and both the cardiologist and the electro cardiologist said I would be able to dive again. I'm taking a Padi medical clearance form with me Monday hoping for a doctors signature. Hopefully I will get it since I am signed up for Cocoview in May