http://www.londondivingchamber.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.londondivingchamber.co.uk/ldc_logo_new_small.jpg http://www.londondivingchamber.co.uk 100 50 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... http://londondivingchamber.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... http://londondivingchamber.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 ... http://londondivingchamber.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... http://londondivingchamber.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... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=27 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:40:30 +0000 I’ve read that diving mammals such as whales have large amounts of body fat, which I suppose is there to keep them warm. So why don’t they get the bends? Isn’t fat partly to blame for decompression sickness? http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=2&sub_cat=90 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:19:44 +0000 I’m due to finish my instructor course in the next couple of months and have got myself into a bit of a panic about my weight. I’ve always been a big lad, a typical rugby forward shape, but I enjoy sport and don’t sit around, so I think I’m quite fit. Thi... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=11&sub_cat=15 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:18:13 +0000 I had weight loss surgery a few years ago. The procedure I had was called gastric bypass. Ironically I sold my dive gear to help pay privately for the procedure, thinking I’d never need it again. But having the surgery gave me a new lease of life and I ha... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=17&sub_cat=24 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:17:27 +0000 I had weight loss surgery a few years ago. The procedure I had was called gastric bypass. Ironically I sold my dive gear to help pay privately for the procedure, thinking I’d never need it again. But having the surgery gave me a new lease of life and I ha... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=11&sub_cat=15 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:16:08 +0000 My doctor has agreed to put me on some medication to help me lose weight. I’ve been overweight for most of my life and whatever I do I can’t seem to shift it. Over the years I’ve lost a bit with crash diets but the weight always ends up piling back on, of... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=11&sub_cat=15 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:14:35 +0000 My girlfriend had a recent family bereavement and she’s started to get panic attacks at random times. She starts hyperventilating and gets palpitations. The attacks last a few minutes and she’s getting better at controlling them with breathing exercises (... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=31&sub_cat=101 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:08:10 +0000 My doctor has recently put me on some treatment for depression. It’s something I’ve suffered with over the years and normally I can get through it without needing medication. This time round it’s been accompanied by (or perhaps resulted from) stress at wo... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=31&sub_cat=101 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:07:29 +0000 My doctor has recently put me on some treatment for depression. It’s something I’ve suffered with over the years and normally I can get through it without needing medication. This time round it’s been accompanied by (or perhaps resulted from) stress at wo... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=5&sub_cat=49 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:07:11 +0000 I was born with a cleft lip and palate. I also have a hole in my nasal septum, and have had for around 4 years now. Being totally honest, I used to do cocaine and speed to excess in my London city life. Luckily I saw the light and moved on, and although I... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=6&sub_cat=164 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:05:48 +0000 I have a mild form of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Basically I get pretty miserable between November and March, which makes me clam up in my shell and interferes with my social life. Diving through this period keeps me going but I prefer solo trips.... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=31&sub_cat=101 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:02:02 +0000 As a latecomer to diving I’ve become pretty obsessed with the sport. Having mastered air diving I feel restricted by the 40m depth limit, and would like to take up technical diving so I can get to 40m+, use Trimix, and try wreck and cave diving. But I'm c... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=31&sub_cat=101 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:01:15 +0000 As a latecomer to diving I’ve become pretty obsessed with the sport. Having mastered air diving I feel restricted by the 40m depth limit, and would like to take up technical diving so I can get to 40m+, use Trimix, and try wreck and cave diving. But I'm c... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=5&sub_cat=49 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:59:57 +0000 As a latecomer to diving I’ve become pretty obsessed with the sport. Having mastered air diving I feel restricted by the 40m depth limit, and would like to take up technical diving so I can get to 40m+, use Trimix, and try wreck and cave diving. But I'm c... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=5&sub_cat=128 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:58:54 +0000 What is beer diving? http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=5&sub_cat=117 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:31:10 +0000 Is there some sort of guide as to how quickly alcohol is eliminated from your system? I’d like to be able to estimate how long it takes for me to be alcohol-free after one beer, two beers, eight beers… If one or two post-dive drinks turns into a big binge... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=5&sub_cat=117 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:30:23 +0000 Myself and my diving friends are taking our mate to Egypt for his stag night next month. We plan to live it up and party all night and then spend the days taking in the Red Sea highlights. We are bound to still be a bit merry in the morning with what we h... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=5&sub_cat=117 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:29:57 +0000 I have a question about alcohol and pressure. Although I don’t drink and dive, I’m asking purely from a scientific point of view: if there was alcohol in my blood, would its effects be augmented by depth and pressure, in a similar way to a gas (such as ni... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=5&sub_cat=117 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:29:36 +0000 I’m really lucky as it seems no matter how much I drink (and being a student that is quite a lot) I never wake up with a hangover or any other problems other than being a bit tired (and usually a few cups of strong coffee sort that out). I’ve just joined ... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=5&sub_cat=117 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:29:12 +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... http://londondivingchamber.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... http://londondivingchamber.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... http://londondivingchamber.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 ... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=163 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:08:10 +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 ... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=6&sub_cat=44 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:07:47 +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... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=14&sub_cat=163 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:07:06 +0000 Hi. I’m relatively new to diving and I’m going on my first liveaboard soon. My worry is this: I suffer with frequent bladder infections, and often need antibiotics to clear them up. Am I likely to get more of these due to diving, and can I dive if I’m tak... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=34&sub_cat=162 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:46:29 +0000 I am considering having the contraceptive intrauterine device (IUD) fitted. Are there any risks that the coil could be crushed, pushed out or even damaged while diving due to the pressure on the body at depth? What about the contraceptive implant, does th... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=10&sub_cat=11 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:45:42 +0000 My partner had breast cancer last year. Luckily it was confined to a lump, which she had removed very quickly. She has been put forward for augmentation (implants), but she wishes to start diving and we would like to know what we have to do to get her sta... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=10&sub_cat=8 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:45:15 +0000 I am a 59 year old woman who has been diving for 11 years, with 800 dives under my (admittedly large) weight belt. Other than being a bit overweight I am fit, eat healthily and exercise regularly. Whilst diving last year I had a problem with my left breas... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=10&sub_cat=8 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:44:36 +0000 We are due to go on a holiday booked prior to finding out that I was pregnant. I have since had an incomplete miscarriage and am due to have an Evacuation of Retained Products of Conception (ERPC). I have been told that I will not be able to swim for four... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=10&sub_cat=9 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:44:04 +0000 I have a 9 month old baby who I am still breastfeeding. My periods have not yet returned following this delivery. Last week I travelled abroad and dived 6 dives to a max of 28 metres over a two day period. However, I have just found out since then that I ... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=10&sub_cat=9 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:43:38 +0000 I am 69 years old and have been diving for about 25 years. Two years ago I was discovered to have an aneurysm in my head. I was having very serious headaches. The investigations done by a neurosurgeon involved angiography to find the aneurysm and then it ... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=4&sub_cat=131 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:20:41 +0000 I’m in my 60’s and over the years have developed deep laughter lines and creases around my brow and eyes. They say laughter keeps you young, but annoyingly it also causes my mask to leak. I’ve tried a couple of different brands but there’s always a trickl... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=33&sub_cat=116 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:13:28 +0000 My husband and I are both keen divers and our daughter is showing an interest already, even though she’s only 5. She’s been quite unlucky with ear infections though, and the ENT doctors are recommending she has grommets to stop her getting them so often. ... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=6&sub_cat=148 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:06:35 +0000 My 8 year old son did his Bubblemaker a year ago and ever since then has wanted to do his Junior Open Water course. The snag is that he’s just been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) with hyperactivity. He’s started a course of stimulant medi... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=31&sub_cat=104 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:06:02 +0000 Recently, I experienced six days of ectopic heart beats. For the first few days they were extremely frequent, up to 10 a minute, gradually decreasing on the sixth day to an infrequent two or three an hour. I have never experienced anything like this befor... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=3&sub_cat=61 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:05:35 +0000 I’ve just reached my 70th birthday and my wife’s promised me a diving holiday in the Maldives to celebrate. I used to be a runner and quite fit up to my retirement, but since then too much fine food and wine has made its way to my waistline. I know I need... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=11&sub_cat=18 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:05:08 +0000 I’m a GP and I’m getting more and more people coming in with dive medical forms asking me whether this or that drug is okay to dive with. A lot of them are older and are on more than one medication. Is there a list somewhere of what is safe to dive with a... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=5&sub_cat=57 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:04:46 +0000 My daughter is a good swimmer and really wants to try SCUBA diving, but I’ve heard there are potential risks to growing children from diving – something about bubbles in the joints? I don’t know much about it and she’s only 14 – old enough to try it but I... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=11&sub_cat=18 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:37:05 +0000 Why is it that children can’t dive below the age of 8? I suppose there has to be a cut-off at some point, but is there a good medical reason why a 7 year-old can’t dive? I’m asking because my 7 year-old son has got very jealous of his 9 year-old sister do... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=11&sub_cat=18 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:36:41 +0000 Both our children have decided they want to learn to dive. (Lord knows why, having watched their mum and dad unattractively flopping about in Wraysbury.) Anyway, one is 8 and the other is 10, and we’ve been trying to find out whether they’re more likely t... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=11&sub_cat=18 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:36:14 +0000 My boyfriend wants me to do a dive course, but I’ve always been too scared of hurting my ears to try. Too many painful childhood ear infections I think. I’ve read about lots of different ways to equalise, but what is the best one for a frightened beginner... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=6&sub_cat=44 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:18:45 +0000 On a trip to Thailand last summer my buddy had a case of terrible dizziness which has put her off diving completely. She was just recovering from a cold when we dived, had a bit of trouble descending but got down to 20 m okay. The dive was fine but on the... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=6&sub_cat=42 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:18:16 +0000 I’ve heard a lot about “reverse squeeze” but what does this term mean exactly? It sounds awful and I’d like to know how to avoid ever experiencing it if possible. http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=6&sub_cat=42 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:17:13 +0000 I had to cut short a diving holiday to Mozambique recently because of an ear problem. I tried to push through a sticky ear situation and it got so painful I had to abort the dive and come up from about 4 metres. Luckily there was a trained ENT doctor on t... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=6&sub_cat=42 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:16:47 +0000 I know you must get asked this a lot, but is there any reliable way to get my ears to equalise on every dive? Sometimes it works easily for me, but quite often (I’d say every 2 or 3 dives) I get a blocked ear and can’t get it to clear. It’s annoying being... http://londondivingchamber.co.uk/index.php?id=advice&page=6&cat=6&sub_cat=44 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:16:03 +0000