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. If you have had any ear infections in the past it is important that your dive doctor be consulted. Even if there is no history of ear infections or you have never had them before, a diving physical will provide all necessary information.
The importance of 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. You shouldn't sign-up for a diving course if your ability to walk is not sufficient. You should instead exercise for 20 minutes four- to five times per week. Walking a mile might not be enough.
Examining the gastrointestinal function
Examining gastrointestinal function during a scuba dive physical is extremely important because ischemic colitis can occur during a diving expedition. While divers might experience abdominal discomfort and belching, little information is available about the severity of gastrointestinal complications. Some rare gastrointestinal conditions have been reported, including gastric rupture due to intra-gastric air expansion and massive pneumoperitoneum, which results from lung barotrauma. Scuba diving has never been associated with hemorhagic colitis, acute ischemic and mesenteric vein embombosis.
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. Although the objective of the test is to determine a diver’s distance and near vision abilities, it also measures a person’s visual acuity.
Barotrauma screening
If you're going scuba diving, you should take extra precautions to check for barotrauma. Barotrauma, which comes from the Greek word baros, which stands for pressure, and trauma, that stands for injury, is what you get. The pressure changes that occur during a dive can cause injury or damage to key parts of the ears. If you have a cold or congestion, diving can cause this condition. You may also experience nausea or vomiting.
Asthma testing
If you suspect you have asthma, you should consult your physician before going on a diving vacation. 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. It is a good idea to have an emergency supply of inhalers at all times. A physician can run an exercise test for asthma to assess the severity of your condition, as well as a lung function test.