A good diving physical will include several parts that should be examined by a physician. The general examination includes checking for cardiovascular fitness and gastrointestinal function, visual ability, and barotrauma. Additional tests may be recommended by doctors to assess your diving skills. It's important to talk with your dive doctor if you have a history of ear infections. A dive physical can provide you with the necessary information, even if your ear infection history is not present.
Assessing your cardiovascular fitness
It is crucial to assess your cardiovascular condition before you consider diving as a hobby or career. Although this might seem easy, it's not. If you're unable to walk a single block, then you shouldn't register for a diving program. 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
Examining gastrointestinal function during a scuba dive physical is extremely important because ischemic colitis can occur during a diving expedition. 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. Scuba diving has never been associated with hemorhagic colitis, acute ischemic and mesenteric vein embombosis.
Examining visual acuity
Diver physicals are used to verify that divers can perform the skills required and to evaluate a diver's eyesight. The diving professional will request that a diver complete a visual ability questionnaire to assess his or her vision. Although the goal of the test is to evaluate a diver's near and distant vision, it also measures the person's visual acuity.
Checking for barotrauma
Barotrauma should be checked if you are going scuba diving. The word barotrauma is derived from the Greek words baros, meaning pressure, and trauma, which means injury. In a dive, the pressure changes can damage or rupture key parts of the ear. If you have a cold or congestion, diving can cause this condition. It can also lead to symptoms like vomiting or pain.
Asthma screening
Before diving, it is a good idea to consult your physician if you suspect you may have asthma. 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. You should always keep an inhaler onboard your dive boat as a precaution. A physician can perform an exercise test to assess your asthma and also do a test of your lung function to determine the severity.