Poll -- diseases and diving

[DivingDoc]

Originally posted by MightyDiver
I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS).
....
The only diving problems I am having due to EDS (so far) are my ankles dislocating every kick from the force of the water against the fins and the discomfort of the wetsuit's pressure against my hyper-sensitive skin. Fortunately, my dive buddy is my husband who acts as my "hands" and does all the lifting of tanks, gear, equipment etc so I can dive as pain free as possible.
=]

I wonder if it would help you to use fins that don't require as much force up and back in the water -- such as one of the split fins or the Mares Volo.

 

[MightyDiver]

Originally posted by DivingDoc


I wonder if it would help you to use fins that don't require as much force up and back in the water -- such as one of the split fins or the Mares Volo.

Thanks DivingDoc! I took your suggestion and I just came back from my LDS where I tried the following fins in their pool.

The Mares Volos were very neat looking but sadly they were the hardest on my ankles.
The Original Force Fins were also too hard and dislocated my ankles though I loved the bungee straps.
Lastly, I tried the only other split fins he had in stock which were the ScubaPro TwinJets Graphite (slight positive buoyancy) and they were the best of the three and surprisingly the medium's foot pocket held me snug even though I have no instep. The owner ordered me a small pair of the graphite twinjets and we'll see how they do in the pool when they arrive. They felt completely different than any other fin I've tried yet. So smooth. and my foot seemed to like the open toe. Still dislocates my ankles but not as forcefully so maybe I'll be able to dive longer.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[DivingDoc]

Originally posted by MightyDiver


Thanks DivingDoc! I took your suggestion and I just came back from my LDS where I tried the following fins in their pool.

The Mares Volos were very neat looking but sadly they were the hardest on my ankles.
The Original Force Fins were also too hard and dislocated my ankles though I loved the bungee straps.
Lastly, I tried the only other split fins he had in stock which were the ScubaPro TwinJets Graphite (slight positive buoyancy) and they were the best of the three and surprisingly the medium's foot pocket held me snug even though I have no instep. The owner ordered me a small pair of the graphite twinjets and we'll see how they do in the pool when they arrive. They felt completely different than any other fin I've tried yet. So smooth. and my foot seemed to like the open toe. Still dislocates my ankles but not as forcefully so maybe I'll be able to dive longer.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Glad things worked out. You might want to go with the high visibility yellow Twin Jets, even though they are slightly positively bouyant because the graphite ones are stiffer. I own the yellow ones and my husband says they are great for locating me in the water. I had ordered the Apollo Biofins because they came out so well in the reviews in Rodales, but they were very heavy and the size I ordered was way too big and I didn't have time to re-order from the same place, so I got the Twin Jets. I love my Twin Jets, but you actually might want to try the Apollos if you can find them, as they are very pliable.

Also check out the review in Rodales of propeller fins:

http://www.scubadiving.com/gear/propfins/review.shtml

 

[MightyDiver]

Originally posted by DivingDoc


Glad things worked out. You might want to go with the high visibility yellow Twin Jets, even though they are slightly positively bouyant because the graphite ones are stiffer. I own the yellow ones and my husband says they are great for locating me in the water.

haha! Great husbands think alike I guess! The high vis yellow Twin Jets are indeed what was ordered for me and for the same reasons. Can't wait until they get here. Thanks!

 

[Bobble]

I've got asthma but it hasnt affected me while diving yet. When I got my medical certificate for diving they were concerned about it but because I'd gone through the chest xray and spirometry tests for my pilots medical they let me through without any problems.

 

[DivingDoc]

Originally posted by Bobble
I've got asthma but it hasnt affected me while diving yet. When I got my medical certificate for diving they were concerned about it but because I'd gone through the chest xray and spirometry tests for my pilots medical they let me through without any problems.

Great! Can you answer the questions for me that I posted above?

 

[Bobble]

1) Could be two to three times a week if things are playing up. But typically none. The worst time of the year is spring when there is lots of pollen in the air. Car fumes and smoke can also trigger an attack for me too.

2) Bricanyl looking at using Flixotide I'm allergic to Ventalin (or more accuratly I react badly when using Ventalin because of the side effects).

3) Yes

4) No

5) No - but I'd imagine that if I were diving when I had symptoms that I'd use my air more quickly and I'd probably get quite tired very quickly. I also would imagine that I'd probably me more likely to pass out because the air is much harder to draw through a regulator (comparied to breathing at the surface).

 

[DivingDoc]

Originally posted by Bobble

2) Bricanyl looking at using Flixotide I'm allergic to Ventalin (or more accuratly I react badly when using Ventalin because of the side effects).

Hmmm -- the names of meds must be different in New Z-speak. I'm familiar with Ventolin. Is Bricanyl a brand name for terbutaline? Never heard of Flixotide -- must be a different name for something than what is used in the US.

Originally posted by Bobble

5) No - but I'd imagine that if I were diving when I had symptoms that I'd use my air more quickly and I'd probably get quite tired very quickly. I also would imagine that I'd probably me more likely to pass out because the air is much harder to draw through a regulator (comparied to breathing at the surface).

You should not dive when you are having symptoms.

 

[Bobble]

No I'd definatlly not dive while I was having any sort of symptoms... I was just guessing what would happen if I did... or if they came on while I was diving... as a precaution to diving I always take a puff on my preventer inhaler - just to be safe.

Yes the names of the med's are different - you may be more familiar with Brethine which is essentially the same thing...

and Filxotide is a preventer... http://gsk.co.nz/product_information.asp?productID=21&pageID=113 has some information you might be interested in

 

[DivingDoc]

Originally posted by Bobble
No I'd definatlly not dive while I was having any sort of symptoms... I was just guessing what would happen if I did... or if they came on while I was diving... as a precaution to diving I always take a puff on my preventer inhaler - just to be safe.

I'd recommend reading the YMCA protocol on diving with asthma:
http://www.ymcascuba.org/ymcascub/asthmatc.html

And the info from DAN on diving with asthma:

http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/articles/article.asp?articleid=22

Originally posted by Bobble
Yes the names of the med's are different - you may be more familiar with Brethine which is essentially the same thing...

Yes, that is terbutaline

Originally posted by Bobble
and Filxotide is a preventer... http://gsk.co.nz/product_information.asp?productID=21&pageID=113 has some information you might be interested in

Flixotide would appear to be the same as Flovent (generic name fluticasone), used in the USA and also manufactured by Glaxo-Smith-Kline. The color of the outside of Flovent is also that burnt orange color.

There is a product here in the US, manufactured by GSK also, which is a combination of Flovent (fluticasone) and Serevent, a long-acting bronchodilator. Patients like it alot because instead of having to take 2 puffs of Serevent and then 2-4 puffs of their preventer steroid inhaler, they only have to take one puff 2x per day of the Advair.

See:

http://advair.ibreathe.com/consumer/2_2_2_taking_advair_animation.htm

I'd really like to hear about the experiences of others with asthma who dive -- answers to the questions I posed above.

There seems to be a discrepancy between the theoretical physiological risks posed by asthma and diving and the actual empirical data that has come out showing that asthmatics in general are not over-represented in the numbers of divers with air embolism or other barotrauma.