Inhaler-friendly snorkel for those with asthma.+

[DocVikingo]

MediDive Asthma Freedom Snorkel

Possibly not such a bad idea under tightly controlled conditions of use, but if the gizmo catches on in earnest it's only a matter of time before the product liability ca-ca hits the fan of jurisprudence.

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[The Kraken]

I think that's a bad, bad idea.

the K

 

[TSandM]

My immediate reaction is that, if your asthma is so poorly controlled that you can't snorkel for 45 minutes without albuterol, somebody needs to kick your doctor in the rear.

 

[knotical]

The same folks have a scuba regulator that allows metered doses for asthmatic scuba divers.
To me, this is even more scary.

 

[CA TAH]

And they are SUPPORTED BY SSI.

 

[dive_lover88]

i'm used to be asthmatic(havent had an attack for 5 yrs plus now) But i think that it's a bad idea.

 

[mdmbike to scuba]

The same folks have a scuba regulator that allows metered doses for asthmatic scuba divers.
To me, this is even more scary.

Why is this a bad idea? Not trying to start anything just wanted to know. Mark

 

[TSandM]

It's a bad idea because asthma underwater has the potential to be very dangerous -- if bronchospasm closes off the passages to some air spaces, then they can't vent when the diver ascends, and this poses a risk of lung rupture (pneumothorax) or air embolism. Someone whose asthma is so poorly controlled that they are likely to need to use their rescue medication underwater is too poorly controlled to dive, by the guidelines published by DAN and by the BSAC.

Lots of asthmatics can be very well controlled with the judicious use of inhaled steroids and long-acting bronchodilators. Those who require continuous dosage of their "rescue" medication (which is ideally only to be used infrequently) are by definition poorly controlled, and that's still considered a contraindication to diving.

 

[darkpup]

Here's a question, how would the partial pressure of the gas administered by an inhaler at depth affect the active ingredients in the medication?

I have this image in my head of a normal 2 hit dose turning into 8 doses at 100' / 4 ATA. From my experience, 2 hits will clear my lungs at the worst of times (i.e. when I'm around cats for multiple days), but more than 2 hits at a time will really get my blood pumping and make my nerves jittery.

With my allergy induced asthma, I've never experienced an attack, but if my asthma was worse than it is, for the reasons Lynne mentioned earlier, I'd most likely give up diving. There's nothing down there worth dying for.

~ Jason

 

[fisherdvm]

Hmm, if we glorify Xtreme sports, why not let a wheezer dives on the edge? If we climb mt everest without oxygen, and litter the mountain top with dead bodies and trash? Why not let an asthmatic carry his inhaler.

My next question is, why should our medical insurance and DAN insurance be paying for these idiots to push their diving to the limit?