residual chest congestion + diving?

[gfac]

Dive trip departure tomorrow; from who knows what bug, 'have residual chest congestion and some coughing (mainly at night); feel pretty ok during the day, no fever, and sinuses/ears seem clear. Would one dare give it a try?
Am sucking on zinc, drinking lots of water. A pharmacist suggested expectorant tablets that I'm trying. Anything else a person could do to pull a little diving out of long-planned trip? Grateful for any insight.
gfac

 

[ERP]

FWIW I dived with mild chest congestion a couple of weeks ago, and it made it considerably worse. Having said that it might have been the 90+ minutes in 50 degree water that did the damage, or I might have been diving at the start of something.

I was completly winded after carrying the gear out of the water and it's pretty much taken the last two weeks to get over the congestion.

I actually turned down diving this week, because I don't want to end up unable to dive for another two weeks.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I had influenza A a few weeks ago and the chest congestion had just been kind of hanging on. So of course, I did a dive yesterday for about 50 minutes in 34 degree water, then finished by hauling the doubles back up the bank and a rather steep hill. I then coughed up phlem for 4-5 hours but felt really good when all was said and done. As of today I have not felt this good in a month, except my legs are telling me that I would be well served hauling a 50 lb pack around on the daily walks during the off season.

 

[gfac]

Thanks all, at least I'm heading to balmier conditions than 50 degrees! Will see how it feels after I get there, with fingers crossed...
gfac

 

[beche de mer]

Thanks all, at least I'm heading to balmier conditions than 50 degrees! Will see how it feels after I get there, with fingers crossed...
gfac

What sort of cough is it? A dry cough, or productive. And if productive, is the mucus clear and runny, or green/yellow and sticky.

The main danger of diving with residual chest congestion is air-trapping. If you have tenacious mucus in the smaller airways, it is possible for air at pressure to be trapped while at depth, and expand as you ascend, with the risk of pulmonary barotrauma.

The orthodox answer would be don't dive. (Not even a shallow one.) In an ideal word you should defer your trip for 4-6 weeks.

But we don't live in an ideal world. We live in the real one. It's your call. In practical terms, your risk might be no greater than that taken by a smoking scuba diver each time he dives.

Consider the risks and make an informed decision.

 

[Cave Diver]

What sort of cough is it? A dry cough, or productive. And if productive, is the mucus clear and runny, or green/yellow and sticky.

The main danger of diving with residual chest congestion is air-trapping. If you have tenacious mucus in the smaller airways, it is possible for air at pressure to be trapped while at depth, and expand as you ascend, with the risk of pulmonary barotrauma.

The orthodox answer would be don't dive. (Not even a shallow one.) In an ideal word you should defer your trip for 4-6 weeks.

But we don't live in an ideal world. We live in the real one. It's your call. In practical terms, your risk might be no greater than that taken by a smoking scuba diver each time he dives.

Consider the risks and make an informed decision.

An excellent reply.

Since I'm not a doctor, and don't play one on SCUBA Board, I would say that if you have any sort of mucus production during your coughing, that you should not dive.

For more detailed advice you might consider giving Divers Alert Network (DAN) a call.

 

[VanGirl]

Quick question of a similar nature.... I'm getting over the flu then WhAMo! pneumonia. Now this will obviously take some time to clear...but I'm wondering how long someone would wait before attempting a dive..I mean do your lungs need a little more time to heal up once the productive cough stops?... Just curious.
Cheers....and Happy Diving!...(*I'm soooooooooo jealous!!!!)
*cough* :huhu: