Valley Fever

[Andrea VanEpps]

Since it seems to be in the rise here in SoCal it seems worth asking about...

Does anyone have experience with diving after having had valley fever?

Are there any potential dangers of diving after being treated for it?

Can diving aggravate an old case or even cause the onset of it?

All questions I'll pose to DAN, but I figured is reach out to see if there's any first hand experiences.

Thanks!

 

[Sbaker013]

I know this was asked years ago, but I am curious if you ever found answers to this? I am a diver and recently got diagnosed with Valley Fever. And wondering if this marks the end of my diving career or if there’s still hope for me

 

[kinoons]

Many diagnosed with valley fever have minimal if any symptoms and recover on their own with no post infection sequelae. Somewhere around 10% may have long term lung issues, but this is out of diagnosed cases, so the actual rate is likely lower.

About Valley Fever

Valley fever (coccidioidomycosis) is a lung infection from a fungus in soil in parts of the U.S.

www.cdc.gov

The party line is going to say that you need to be evaluated by a physician, and potentially a specialist, once you feel better and they’re going to likely want a chest x-ray at a minimum and potentiallly a CT of the chest to clear you to dive; with minimal if any evidence that these studies will make you any safer.

I argue that if you have fully recovered with no issues regarding breathing, and stamina; that you have no issues with fainting, lightheadedness, dizziness, or palpitations, and you have fully returned to pre-illness activity levels you are likely safe to dive.