A good dive physical includes a few different parts that a medical professional should look for. A general exam includes checking your cardiovascular fitness, gastrointestinal function as well as visual acuity and barotrauma. Your doctor may recommend additional tests like x-rays to help you assess your diving abilities. It's important to talk with your dive doctor if you have a history of ear infections. You don't need to have a history of ear problems, but a dive physical will help you get the right information.
Assessing your cardiovascular fitness
Before diving as a hobby/career, it is important to assess your cardiovascular endurance. Although it may seem easy, this is not an easy task. If you are unable to walk a block, don't sign up for a diving class. You should be exercising for 20 minutes at least four to five days a week. Walking a mile might not be enough.
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. 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. A few rare conditions of the gastrointestinal system have been reported. These include gastric rupture from intra-gastric expansion and massive pneumoperitoneum which result from lung barotrauma. However, scuba diving has not been shown to cause mesenteric blood clotsis, acute Ischemia colitis, or hemorhagic Colitis.
Examining visual acuity
Dive physicals are designed to ensure that divers are able to perform the required skills, and to assess a diver's vision. To determine if a diver has good vision, the diving professional will ask him or her to complete a visual acuity questionnaire. The test is designed to measure a person's vision acuity and distance vision.
Examining for barotrauma
Scuba diving requires you to be extra cautious in order to prevent barotrauma. The word barotrauma is derived from the Greek words baros, meaning pressure, and trauma, which means 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. It can also lead to symptoms like vomiting or pain.
Asthma: Check for it
Before you go on a diving vacation, consult your doctor if you think you might have asthma. Dive vacations can trigger asthma symptoms, which can make it worse or worsen. Your doctor will likely prescribe you oral steroids to help with your asthma. You should always keep an inhaler onboard your dive boat as a precaution. Your doctor can also conduct an exercise test to assess asthma symptoms and do a lung function check to determine severity.