A good dive physical includes a few different parts that a medical professional should look for. General examination procedures include checking cardiovascular fitness, gastrointestinal function, visual acuity, and barotrauma. To further evaluate your diving ability, doctors may recommend additional tests such as xrays. 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.
The importance of 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 instead exercise for 20 minutes four- to five times per week. You might need to walk for as little as a quarter of a mile.
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. Although divers may experience belching or abdominal discomfort, there is not much information about severe 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. However, scuba diving has not been shown to cause mesenteric blood clotsis, acute Ischemia colitis, or hemorhagic Colitis.
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 assess if a diver's vision is good, a diving professional will ask the diver to fill out a visual acuity questionnaire. The test is designed to measure a person's vision acuity and distance vision.
Checking for barotrauma
You should take extra precautions when scuba diving to avoid barotrauma. Barotrauma, which comes from the Greek word baros, which stands for pressure, and trauma, that stands for injury, is what you get. Dive pressure can cause damage or rupture to the eardrums. You can get this condition if you are suffering from a cold, congestion, or while diving. This condition can also cause nausea and vomiting.
Asthma Testing
You should see your physician if you suspect that you have asthma before you dive. You can experience asthma symptoms that can get worse or worse, and even trigger by diving. Asthma treatment can be provided by your doctor with oral steroids. You should always keep an inhaler onboard your dive boat as a precaution. To assess your asthma severity, your physician may also perform an exercise test and a lung function test.