A good dive physical includes a few different parts that a medical professional should look for. Checking cardiovascular fitness, gastrointestinal function and visual acuity are all part of a general examination. 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. Even if you do not have any ear infections in the past, a dive medical will give you all the information that you need.
Cardiovascular fitness:
Before pursuing diving as a hobby or a career, it is vital to evaluate your cardiovascular fitness. This may sound like a simple task, but it is not. For example, you shouldn't sign up for a diving course if you can't even walk a block! Instead, you should exercise for 20 minutes four to five times a week. Walking a mile might not be enough.
Examining the digestive function
Examining gastrointestinal function during a scuba dive physical is extremely important because ischemic colitis can occur during a diving expedition. While divers might experience abdominal discomfort and belching, little information is available about the severity of gastrointestinal complications. 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. However, scuba diving has not been shown to cause mesenteric blood clotsis, acute Ischemia colitis, or hemorhagic Colitis.
Examining visual acuity
Dive physicals are done to make sure divers can perform the necessary skills and to assess a diver’s vision. A questionnaire about visual acuity will be administered by a professional diving instructor to help determine whether a diver can see well. Although the goal of the test is to evaluate a diver's near and distant vision, it also measures the person's visual acuity.
Barotrauma screening
You should take extra precautions when scuba diving to avoid barotrauma. Barotrauma comes from the Greek words trauma (meaning injury) and baros (meaning pressure). Dive pressure can cause damage or rupture to the eardrums. This can happen if the diver is suffering from congestion or a cold. This condition can also cause nausea and vomiting.
Checking for Asthma
Before going on a dive vacation, your physician should be consulted if you believe you might have asthma. You can experience asthma symptoms that can get worse or worse, and even trigger by diving. Your doctor can prescribe oral steroids to treat your asthma. It is a good idea to have an emergency supply of inhalers at all times. Your doctor can also conduct an exercise test to assess asthma symptoms and do a lung function check to determine severity.