A good diving physical will include several parts that should be examined by a physician. Checking cardiovascular fitness, gastrointestinal function and visual acuity are all part of a general examination. Your doctor may recommend additional tests like x-rays to help you assess your diving abilities. If you have had any ear infections in the past it is important that your dive doctor be consulted. You don't need to have a history of ear problems, but a dive physical will help you get the right information.
Cardiovascular fitness:
It is essential to assess your cardiovascular health before diving as a hobby and/or career. Although it may seem easy, this is not an easy task. For example, if you cannot walk a block, you should not sign up to a diving course. It is better to exercise 20 minutes four to five time per week. Even walking a mile may not be sufficient.
Examining the digestive function
It is important to examine the gastrointestinal function of divers during a scuba diving physical. Ischemic colitis can happen during a dive expedition. While divers might experience abdominal discomfort and belching, little information is available about the severity of gastrointestinal complications. 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 assess the abilities of divers and evaluate their vision. A questionnaire about visual acuity will be administered by a professional diving instructor to help determine whether a diver can see well. Although the goal of the test is to evaluate a diver's near and distant vision, it also measures the person's visual acuity.
Barotrauma screening
If you plan to scuba dive, it is important that you take extra precautions in order to avoid barotrauma. Barotrauma is a combination of the Greek words baros and trauma. Trauma refers to injury. Pressure changes in a dive can cause damage to or even rupture of key parts and organs of the ear. You can get this condition if you are suffering from a cold, congestion, or while diving. This can cause symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.
Asthma screening
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. Your doctor will likely prescribe you oral steroids to help with your asthma. To protect yourself, keep some inhalers aboard 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.