HEALTH FOR DIVING

From what you've to this point, you know that diving is relaxing, but not sedate, and you need to be in good health. You also realize that there are times when strenuous activity comes into play, so you need to have levels of health , fitness and conditioning sufficient to handle moderately strenuous activity, which could include an emergency or other unanticipated physical demands. Being in good health helps assure that you can meet these demands, which in turn affects your safety.

General diving health recommendations follow the same recommendations regarding rest and diet for everyday life. Never use alcohol, drugs or tobacco prior to diving. Alcohol and drugs, even in quantities that have minimal effect on the surface, can impair your judgment at depth, where pressure can increase their effects.

Also, alcohol before or immediately after a dive also increases your risk of decompression sickness (discussed later in this section). Be conservative if drinking the night before diving; alcohol tends to dehydrate you, which can also predispose you to decompression sickness.

If you're taking a prescription drug, discuss its effects with your physician prior to diving. If in doubt, don't dive until you're no longer using the medication.

Avoid smoking, which tend to interfere with having an active lifestyle. Smoking is undeniably detrimental your health. If you do smoke, abstain for several hours before and after diving because smoking significantly decreases the efficiency of your circulatory and respiratory systems. It can also promote air trapping within your lungs, theoretically raising your risk of lung over expansion injury - even when breathing normally.

Don't dive if you don't feel well, including (as you learned in Section One) diving with a cold. Doing so can cause ear and sinus squeeze or reverse blocks due to equalization difficulties. Diving with a chest cold can produce air trapping, with a risk of lung over expansion injury. No one wants to miss out on a dive, but you should be in good health to dive safely Don't use medication to combat symptoms so you can make a dive when you're not tell.

Maintain a reasonable degree of physical fitness and have a complete physical examination when you first enter diving, and at least every two years thereafter. Ideally, you should be examined by a physician knowledgeable in dive medicine. Keep your immunizations current; this is especially important for your tetanus and typhoid immunizations. Keep a well-balanced diet and get proper rest. Maintain a regular exercise program - you don't have to be an Olympian, just in good average health

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