A good dive medical includes several components that a medical professional should inspect. Checking cardiovascular fitness, gastrointestinal function and visual acuity are all part of a general examination. Doctors may also recommend additional tests, such as x-rays, to further assess your diving abilities. It's important to talk with your dive doctor if you have a history of ear infections. A dive physical can provide you with the necessary information, even if your ear infection history is not present.
The importance of cardiovascular fitness
Before pursuing diving as a hobby or a career, it is vital to evaluate your cardiovascular fitness. It may seem simple, but it isn't. If you're unable to walk a single block, then you shouldn't register for a diving program. You should instead exercise for 20 minutes four- to five times per week. Even walking a mile may not be sufficient.
Examining the gastrointestinal function
A scuba dive physical should include a thorough examination of the gastrointestinal function. This is because ischemic complications can arise during diving expeditions. Divers may exhibit belching and abdominal discomfort, but there is little information on severe gastrointestinal complications associated with the activity. Some rare gastrointestinal conditions have been reported, including gastric rupture due to intra-gastric air expansion and massive pneumoperitoneum, which results from lung barotrauma. But, hemorhagic, acute ischemic, and mesenteric thrombosis were never linked to scubadiving.
Examining visual acuity
Dive physicals are done to make sure divers can perform the necessary skills and to assess a diver’s vision. A questionnaire about visual acuity will be administered by a professional diving instructor to help determine whether a diver can see well. While the objective is to assess a diver's distance and near vision, the test also measures a person's visual acuity.
You should check for barotrauma
If you plan to scuba dive, it is important that you take extra precautions in order to avoid barotrauma. Barotrauma comes from the Greek words trauma (meaning injury) and baros (meaning pressure). When the pressure changes during diving, it can cause damage or even complete rupture to certain parts of the ear. If you have a cold or congestion, diving can cause this condition. You may also experience nausea or vomiting.
Asthma testing
Before going on a dive vacation, your physician should be consulted if you believe you might have asthma. Your asthma symptoms can become more severe or less severe over time. They can also be triggered by diving. Oral steroids can be prescribed by your doctor to treat your asthma. As a precaution, you should keep a supply of inhalers on board your dive boat. A physician can run an exercise test for asthma to assess the severity of your condition, as well as a lung function test.