Can I SCUBA with moderate level Asthma?

Question

Can I SCUBA with moderate level Asthma?

Answer 1

Yes, it depends on your asthma.  You will need to monitor how long and how deep your dives are.  Dive your deepest dive first and then progressively dive more shallow dives.  Remember to make safety stops and never dive if your having trouble breathing on the surface.  Check with your doctor before paying for lessons and buying equipment.

Answer 2

If it is well controlled, yes.  If not, you are at serious risk for a lung injury.

Here is why.  Asthma is an inflammation of the breathing passages.  This reults in anrrowing and can result in air being trapped (at leats for a short period of time).  At constant pressures, no problem.  But when diving the ambient pressure changes.  

If you filled a ballon half way full at 30 feet depth, when you surfaced the ballon would be fully inflated.  (The reverse is true as well).  The problem is what if the air inside a trapped space doubles in volume - it has to go somewhere.  Barotrauma is the result.  The ability to equalize these pressure is essential to SCUBA diving -- be it the lungs, inner ear or sinus.

One other wrinkle: SCUBA can trigger asthma.  Some asthma seems to be initiated by breathing in a bit of salt water (unlikely, but it could happen) or by exercise (like kciking against a current).  

My advice:  Consult with a doctor familiar with diving physiology. and your clinical history.

Answer 3

This only a doctor can check !!!

Answer 4

As a nurse, I think you should probably seek your doctor's advice. Sometimes changes in pressure can trigger attacks and you would want (and need) to be prepared on what to do in the event this would happen. He/she may also be able to give you some advice on possible prevention!! Good luck and have fun!!!

Answer 5

Yes I have done it.  But be careful if you are at all claustrophobic

Answer 6

Check with your doctor first, but as long as you stay with MODERATE, you should be okay. Make sure your scuba partner knows you are asthmatic and what to do in case of a severe attack, as you may not be close to help if you need it in a hurry.

Answer 7

As an asthmatic I dive both recreational & career fire department. but please seek your physicians & a dive physicians advice. divers alert network is a good source for researching dive medicine & dive complcations.

Answer 8

Yes, Ive done it. No problem. MODERATE!

Answer 9

I have moderate asthma and took my paper from my doctor to the trainer and he said no. I have anxiety as well so the combo could be fatal.

Answer 10

yes you can.

Answer 11

i've had people in scuba classes and known friends with asthma who've dived, but what you really need to do to make it formal and minimize the risk is to discuss it with a dive-familiar physician. there are different triggers for attacks and problems that can arise with asthma that can make scuba more or less risky. case in point: you don't want to have an attack at depth and pressure, with your lungs filled to volume at that pressure, and have some regions of lung be blocked off. not because you'd suffocate, but because coming to the surface would lead to a situation where the pressure inside that region would be higher than the ambient are pressure and... voila, air embolism, and one of the diver's worst nightmares. you also need to be tested to be sure that choking on salt water (which is inevitable) won't cause an asthma attack. don't put all this to your GP because chances are they won't be sure, unless he or she is a fairly accomplished scuba diver. ask for a referral to a physician trained in diving medicine or google for links to organizations that can help. DAN (divers alert network) operates a web site with a listing of dive doctors--try them.

Answer 12

Heck yes!

Answer 13

be sure to consult your doctor , you may to adjust meds. it should be fine to do even help, all exercise seems to help.