A good diving physical will include several parts that should be examined by a physician. A general exam includes checking your cardiovascular fitness, gastrointestinal function as well as visual acuity and barotrauma. Additional tests may be recommended by doctors to assess your diving skills. If you have had any ear infections in the past it is important that your dive doctor be consulted. Even if there is no history of ear infections or you have never had them before, a diving physical will provide all necessary information.
Examining cardiovascular fitness
Before diving as a hobby/career, it is important to assess your cardiovascular endurance. Although it may seem easy, this is not an easy task. You shouldn't sign-up for a diving course if your ability to walk is not sufficient. You should be exercising for 20 minutes at least four to five days a week. You might need to walk for as little as a quarter of a mile.
Examining 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. Some rare gastrointestinal conditions have been reported, including gastric rupture due to intra-gastric air expansion and massive pneumoperitoneum, which results from lung barotrauma. However, scuba diving has not been shown to cause mesenteric blood clotsis, acute Ischemia colitis, or hemorhagic Colitis.
Examining visual acuity
Diver physicals are used to verify that divers can perform the skills required and to evaluate a diver's eyesight. To assess if a diver's vision is good, a diving professional will ask the diver to fill out a visual acuity questionnaire. The test is designed to measure a person's vision acuity and distance vision.
Examining for barotrauma
You should take extra precautions when scuba diving to avoid barotrauma. Barotrauma comes from the Greek words trauma (meaning injury) and baros (meaning pressure). The pressure changes that occur during a dive can cause injury or damage to key parts of the ears. It can also be caused by diving with a cold. This can cause symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.
Asthma testing
If you suspect you have asthma, you should consult your physician before going on a diving vacation. Asthma symptoms can worsen or wax and wane, and they can even get triggered by diving. Your doctor will likely prescribe you oral steroids to help with your asthma. It is a good idea to have an emergency supply of inhalers at all times. A physician can run an exercise test for asthma to assess the severity of your condition, as well as a lung function test.