The document, which is intended to be used by divers, dive professionals and doctors, establishes a schedule for medical questionnaires and physical evaluations based on age and other relevant factors.
The 'Medical Statement' form' is currently used by the majority of divers undertaking training. It was first published in 1989.
April 2020 — I come to you as a recreational and technical diving instructor, as a physician consultant for Divers Alert Network, and as a COVID-19 survivor. For me, it was just an occupational hazard. I tested positive for COVID-19 after seeing a patient in my cardiology clinic for an unrelated condition who seemed quite short of breath. He was admitted to the ICU and tested positive for COVID-19.
Cardiac issues have become a leading factor in diving fatalities, according to a study. Hence, older scuba divers have been advised to have regular fitness assessments with their doctors and cut down on factors that can increase one's risk of suffering a heart attack when diving.
Although it is mandatory to be screened for fitness and have one's dive skills certified prior to being issued a C-Card, such certification lasts a lifetime.
To diagnose gum disease, dentists insert a thin metal probe between the tooth and gum to measure the amount of gum that has shrunk back from the tooth. The depth to which the tool can be inserted indicates the severity of the gum disease.
Apart from being invasive and uncomfortable, this method of diagnosis is sometimes painful for the patient. In addition, the measurements are viable, as the probe can measure only one portion of the tooth at a time.
Enter Jesse Jokerst.
You must walk before you can run, so why do so few dive centres teach people how to swim before they learn to dive?
Due to the constant jaw clenching and fluctuations in the atmospheric pressure underwater, divers may experience symptoms ranging from tooth, jaw and gum pain to loosened crowns and broken dental fillings. Recreational divers should consult their dentist before diving if they recently received dental care, said lead author Vinisha Ranna, BDS, a student in the UB School of Dental Medicine.
"If you're going to be a member of the Jet Set and fly off to Katmandu for coffee with King Mahendra," wrote Horace Sutton in the Los Angeles Times, "you can count on contracting Jet Lag, a debility not unakin to a hangover. Jet Lag derives from the simple fact that jets travel so fast they leave your body rhythms behind."
When exercising the legs to keep them strong for scuba diving, it is important to develop muscle strength, endurance and flexibility. The legs must be versatile for diving activities, which place unique demands on the body.
