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.
The Australian authors—Dr Neil Banham (lead) and Dr John Lippmann—reported that a 26-year-old healthy male freediver dived to 10m (32.8ft) where he met a friend who was diving on scuba. The freediver breathed from a scuba regulator before ascending.
It may have been that he held much of his breath during ascent, which would have been his usual and generally safe practice with normal breath hold diving. — Banham, Lippmann
Ear health problems are one of the most commonly reported issues by divers. Problems can range from a relatively simple condition, for example, “swimmers ear,” to a more serious condition such as barotrauma, which can result in lasting damage to the ear.
Currently, anonymous field data is sparse, therefore Devon-based DDRC is hoping to find out what type of ear problems are most frequently encountered whilst diving if any medical advice was obtained; and if not, what was the outcome.
The lead of the pilot study, Vinisha Ranna, who is also a keen scuba diver, became interested in the problem after she experienced it herself. In her case it manifested as a squeezing sensation in the teeth, known as barodontalgia
After combing through more than 2,000 articles and conducting a systematic review of the evidence for the use of heat or ice in the treatment of cnidarian envenomations, the team concluded that the majority of studies to date support the use of hot-water immersion for pain relief and improved health outcomes.
DDRC Healthcare, based in Plymouth England, are running a Taster Day on Monday 14th March 2016.
This one day course includes presentations and practical experience, and offers practising doctors an overview of diving and hyperbaric medicine, and diving accident recognition and management.
Topics covered;
This Community Education program is for both the Medical Community and the Diving Community. Bringing together nationally and internationally known speakers on topics of dive safety, medicine and training.
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.