A good dive physical should include a few parts that a professional should examine. Checking cardiovascular fitness, gastrointestinal function and visual acuity are all part of a general examination. Additional tests may be recommended by doctors to assess your diving skills. If you have had any ear infections in the past it is important that your dive doctor be consulted. Even if you do not have any ear infections in the past, a dive medical will give you all the information that you need.
Assessing your cardiovascular fitness
It is important to assess your cardiovascular fitness before you decide to pursue diving as a hobby, or even as a career. It may seem simple, but it isn't. For example, if you cannot walk a block, you should not sign up to a diving course. You should be exercising for 20 minutes at least four to five days a week. You may need to walk a few miles.
Examining the gastrointestinal function
The importance of examining the gastrointestinal function is paramount during a scuba diver physical. This is because ischemic bowel disease can develop during a diving expedition. Belching and abdominal discomfort are common symptoms in divers. However, very little information is available on the serious gastrointestinal complications that can result from diving. Gastric rupture may occur due to intragastric air expansion, massive pneumoperitoneum, or lung barotrauma. Scuba diving has never been associated with hemorhagic colitis, acute ischemic and mesenteric vein embombosis.
Examining visual acuity
Dive physicals can be used to determine if divers have the ability to perform the required skills and assess their vision. To determine if a diver has good vision, the diving professional will ask him or her to complete a visual acuity questionnaire. Although the goal of the test is to evaluate a diver's near and distant vision, it also measures the person's visual acuity.
Examining for barotrauma
If you're going scuba diving, you should take extra precautions to check for barotrauma. Barotrauma is a combination of the Greek words baros and trauma. Trauma refers to injury. The pressure changes that occur during a dive can cause injury or damage to key parts of the ears. It can also be caused by diving with a cold. You may also experience nausea or vomiting.
Checking for Asthma
Before you go on a diving vacation, consult your doctor if you think you might have asthma. Asthma symptoms can worsen or wax and wane, and they can even get triggered by diving. Asthma treatment can be provided by your doctor with oral steroids. It is a good idea to have an emergency supply of inhalers at all times. Your doctor can also conduct an exercise test to assess asthma symptoms and do a lung function check to determine severity.