http://www.midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk Dive Medicine - information for divers on different diving medicine subjects: marine animal hazards, the bends, Cardiovascular System and scuba diving, Central Nervous System and the scuba diver, Drugs and Diving, Easy Equalization for scuba divers, Eye Problems for scuba divers, women and scuba diving, Fitness and Diving, Gastrointestinal Problems and scuba diving, trauma and orthopaedic problems for scuba divers, Respiratory Problems and scuba diving. en-us webmaster@e-med.co.uk http://www.midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/ldc_logo_new_small.jpg http://www.midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk 100 50 At the ripe old age of 50, and after numerous attempts, I have finally managed to give up smoking. I say this every year of course, but in 2016 I seem to have stayed quit for longer than ever - 3 months and counting! This time the difference is my trusty ... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=163 Sun, 08 May 2016 04:29:33 +0100 I've had asthma all my life and always thought that meant I could never take up diving. But in the States on holiday recently, I came across a snorkel for asthmatics, with an attachment on the side for an inhaler. I enquired into this and the shop assista... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=27 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:46:27 +0000 I have recently signed up to do a PADI diving course and because I have verymild asthma, have been asked to get a medical form signed by my family GP.This she has signed to clear me as Fit for Diving; however she has since contacted me regardi... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=27 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:44:53 +0000 My 10 year old daughter Lucy has asthma, which she's had since birth. In her first few winters it was quite severe and she ended up in hospital on several occasions. Thankfully this has become less frequent as she's got older, but she still has to take a ... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=27 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:43:31 +0000 On a recent trip to Australia I went to a locaI diving outfit to book onto a liveaboard. I had asthma as a child but grew out of it years ago so didn't think it would be a problem. I did mention this to the staff and they took what I thought was a very ha... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=27 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:42:28 +0000 Hi. I'm a lifelong asthmatic but in the last couple of years it seems to have got worse, and my GP can't work out why. I'm 36 now and have been diving for 2 years, never with any lung problems though. My GP referred me to a specialist and they recommended... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=27 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:40:30 +0000 Common sense tells me it's not a good idea to smoke tobacco as a diver, but does that apply to things like shisha pipes and cannabis as well? It's not that I smoke these things all the time, but I have in the past, and want to know whether this would caus... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=163 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:09:34 +0000 I've been diving for 30-odd years and was a smoker until five years ago (I'm now 48). Unfortunately I think I left giving up a bit too late: I was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) six months ago. The docs say it's mild but becau... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=163 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:09:03 +0000 I've been diving for 30-odd years and was a smoker until five years ago (I'm now 48). Unfortunately I think I left giving up a bit too late: I was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) six months ago. The docs say it's mild but becau... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=78 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:08:44 +0000 Being honest, I'm one of those annoying on-off social smokers who's always scabbing cigarettes off people at parties and never buys their own. Normally I go out on Thursdays and don't smoke Friday so it clears my system before I dive on the weekend. This ... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=163 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:08:10 +0000 I'm in the process of trying to quit smoking (again…). I'm 42 now and have given up for a year or two before, but somehow always end up having a cheeky one in the pub and falling off the wagon. This time I'm going to use something to help. Bearing in mind... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=163 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:07:06 +0000 Hello. As part of an investigation into abnormal levels of iron in my liver my consultant wishes to perform a liver biopsy. This involves a 1 in 1000 risk of a punctured lung. I am a very active diver and would therefore not like to jeopardise this. What ... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=28 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:01:07 +0000 I would like to know if you can give me some advice after having pneumonia and a pleural effusion. I went to A&E after breathing difficulties & coughing up blood (only small amounts in a tissue over 12 hours). I was kept in for 4 nights & treated with ant... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=78 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 03:56:53 +0000 I grew up in India and had tuberculosis (TB) at a young age. Unfortunately I didn't improve despite all the drugs that were given to me (for at least a year I think). In those days the only treatment they could offer me was pulmonary resection - cutting o... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=29 Thu, 13 Nov 2008 01:16:39 +0000 Like many divers who enjoy a holiday in the Red Sea, I have partaken in the local custom of smoking on the hubbly bubbly pipe otherwise known as shisha, or hookah. Can you clarify to me whether or not smoking these things can or will damage a person's hea... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=163 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:25:53 +0000 Hello Doctor, can you give me some general advice please. 2 months ago, my brother undertook a trek to Aconcagua, a 7000m peak in Argentina. His trek had to be aborted when he was diagnosed as suffering from high altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE). Since he... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=129 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 01:08:35 +0100 I am a fit, healthy 25 year old who plays a lot of sport. I have done 70 dives with 60 being in temperate waters around Britain and Ireland. I have done all my dives in a wetsuit. I developed what I believe now to be cold water induced pulmona... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=129 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 01:07:43 +0100 My boyfriend has recently been diagnosed with sarcoidosis, bit of a nightmare as we are divemasters and have flights booked to Thailand to do our instructor course.He has seen the specialist and his lung function tests are better than average,... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=78 Mon, 19 May 2008 12:18:08 +0100 I'm hoping you will give me some information over a problem I've had for some time. About 15 years ago I was attacked with a baseball bat and a machete, I was on life support and in a coma with multiple injuries. When I eventually got out of hospital I st... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=28 Mon, 19 May 2008 11:16:23 +0100 I have been diving for a couple of years now and I am qualified to Rescue Diver level. I have asthma but this is mild and well controlled and only ever presents a problem if I suffer a chest infection (usually about twice a year Autumn/Spring). I had a ch... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=27 Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:47:15 +0100 I have been diving for a couple of years now and I am qualified to Rescue Diver level. I have asthma but this is mild and well controlled and only ever presents a problem if I suffer a chest infection (usually about twice a year Autumn/Spring). I had a ch... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=107 Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:47:15 +0100 Hello, I'm interested in giving diving a go, but I have a history of spontaneous pneumothorax. A friend of a friend who is a diving instructor said you might be able to advise me. I first had a pneumothorax in 1994 at the age of 18 on my right lung. ... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=156 Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:15:48 +0100 My name is Melany and I've recently moved to Dahab to work and to learn how to dive but unfortunately due to an incident that happened more than 21 years ago, I've been advised that I can never take up diving. What happened was I suffered a collapse... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=156 Mon, 25 Jun 2007 11:19:05 +0100 I recently went into hospital for 3 hernia operations and during the course of recovering developed a PE. I have been put on to Warfarin and I am advised that I will remain on it until August. My question is after I have completed the medication is th... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=139 Mon, 25 Jun 2007 11:01:04 +0100 Hi Doc, I was first diagnosed with Synovial Sarcoma in '92, a 2cm lesion on external fascia of right rectus sheath. Broad excision completed Sep '92 No further treatment, but Scans for 5 years. In July 2004, noticed a lump in... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=78 Mon, 06 Nov 2006 01:05:32 +0000 I have been given you name from the London Diving School. I am looking to go diving at Easter but just wanted to check some medical details with you first. I had a car crash 16 years ago and my lungs collapsed and I was on a life support machine for 10 d... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=28 Thu, 29 Sep 2005 03:55:20 +0100 I have had consultation with a dive doctor who thinks that I have a mild form of asthma. He sent me for exercise tests and the results suggest that exercise does not affect my peak flow rate. I wish to undertake a TDI Extended range course before I get th... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=27 Wed, 29 Jun 2005 12:49:25 +0100 I have a friend who suffered from asthma when she was young, but she now rarely experiences any relapse. She has taken part in diving on 2 occasions and seemed to be all right. Is diving suitable for her? https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=27 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 Having just done a try dive, I have the bug. My problem is I have been diagnosed with Asbestosis & Pleural Plaques in its early stages, so my question is will this rule me out of doing a Padi open water course or does this put me at a greater risk of lung... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=30 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 I read with interest your column in Sport Diver, and have a question for you. My father, sister and brother all have marked alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency(genetically predisposed deficiency of a protease inhibitor), predisposing them to emphyse... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=78 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 I have been referred to you by my dive instructor. I am due to start a diving course on Monday night but have been refused certification by a GP. Basically I have mild asthma, mostly brought on by allergies to smoke and artificial fog. However, several ye... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=27 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 Please can you stop me panicking.I am a very fit 30-year-old man and I have been diving exclusively in the UK since last August. By 'fit ' I mean cycling 12 miles nearly every day and that is cycling not just riding as I regard my health and f... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=27 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 I am about to self-certify for the BSAC medical. I need to get a medical referee to sign regarding asthma. My old GP reckoned that my almost annual bronchitis as a child was due to asthma. I use a puffer now occasionally in the winter, when I get a really... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=27 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 What is a pulmonary barotrauma? Is it life threatening? Does it mean you can have a heart attack under the water? https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=30 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 I came to you 8th April last year and you gave me a dive medical according to an Australian diving medical form. I did a dive expedition with CCC which started in October last year. I did my PADI divemaster certification and finished in May.I ... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=27 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 I would appreciate your advice re an injury I have sustained. After having a cold and cough for approximately a month, I developed a pain to the right side of my ribcage. I visited my GP, when the pain failed to subside after about a week. At this time I ... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=29 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 Many years ago, I had on 2 separate occasions a Spontaneous Pneumothorax. If memory serves correctly it was on the same side. That is the left side. I do recall that the doctors told me that this is a common occurrence amongst young tall, thin men. I am n... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=156 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 I have asthma and I am thinking of taking a diving course soon. Will I need to get a medical cert before I will be able to dive. I have done a try dive before and the doctor there said I was OK to a certain depth. https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=27 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 I am proposing to go on a diving holiday, but wanted to ensure that I am medically fit enough to go, and wondered if you can help? I had a pneumothorax as the result of a fractured rib, two years ago. I am fully recovered now. Do you foresee any problems?... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=28 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 I sometimes have trouble clearing my ears when I start to descend in the water but I get a clear warning in the form of pain and ascend a little and make sure I clear my ears before I try again. My question is this, would I get a similar pain signal in my... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=30 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 Recently my boyfriend and I went an a rescue diver course in Looe. We finished our course on the Friday doing our last dive on the Friday morning. We returned home both feeling fine. On the Monday my boyfriend went for a run and ended up in hospital. The ... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=28 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 I am planning to start diving next week but my concern is the illness that I had 9 months ago. It was tuberculosis, and it was in my lungs ...I wonder if I could dive. Treatment completed 3 months ago and I don't use anymore medication...another thing tha... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=29 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 Can you confirm what range or percentages a normal result from a lung function test falls into. I've started doing a lot of yoga including breathing exercises and my most recent medical showed I was exhaling 115% of my predicted capacity. My yoga instruct... https://midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=78 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100