What is the danger with SCUBA diving if you have high cholesterol?
Thursday, April 15th, 2010 at
10:22 pm
I’m relatively healthy, nowhere near obese, and deathly afraid of needles. I am going to SCUBA dive this summer, and I need a form signed by my physician. She will not sign until I get the blood test doe to test for high cholesterol. Let me say again, I am freaked out of needles. Is there any risk of diving even if I do have the high cholesterol he is looking for?
According to DAN (Diver’s Alert Network), it’s the medications and underlying cardio function that are the biggies.
Here’s the link:
http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/faq/faq.aspx?faqid=22
Since you have to see a dive specialist, you may want to take a look around the medical faq page at DAN and see if there any other issues that apply to you.
Heart attacks
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You taste like a big mac to sharks
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I don’t believe high cholesterol per se is the problem, it is the other health risks that high cholesterol contributes to: coronary heart disease, stroke, blood clots, etc. Any of these types of cardiovascular issues could make scuba diving an unacceptably risky activity for you.
I appreciate that you have a fear of needles, but it is unlikely that you will suffer severe injury or death as a result of drawing blood. The same cannot be said of scuba diving with an unknown health risk.
Have the blood work done.
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NAUI Scuba Instructor
According to DAN (Diver’s Alert Network), it’s the medications and underlying cardio function that are the biggies.
Here’s the link:
http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/faq/faq.aspx?faqid=22
Since you have to see a dive specialist, you may want to take a look around the medical faq page at DAN and see if there any other issues that apply to you.
References :
High cholesterol itself isn’t a danger when diving. But if you have high cholesterol, that means you’re at greater risk for other things, including heart attacks. When a person has a heart attack, time is essential, and if you’re 70′ underwater + a 20 minute boat ride from shore, then having a heart attack is going to have a much greater chance of being fatal than it would be if you had one while sitting in your house, just because it would take you so much longer to get to the hospital.
I’m not a doctor, so don’t consider this official medical advice, yadda yadda.
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