First time divers and blood pressure
Hi,
My partner and I, who are in our mid 20s, are planning to do a PADI dive course in QLD and we were told that dive medical AS4005-1 would be completed on the first day of the course. I have a few questions I'm hoping you can help answer.
My partner takes blood pressure medication and averages around 60/130. Would this be a problem for him? We are going to be diving between 30-80 feet.
Another thing is we plan to do the dive medical prior to going to QLD, as most of our holiday revoles around completing the course. We're in Melbourne and I've called a couple of doctors, from the SPUMS doctor list and I was told that they do the Australian Standard test. However, when I asked if the Test was the AS4005-1, they were unable to tell me. I was given various information, for example, the test might either go for 30mins or 1 hour. I also wasn't sure if we had to go to someone who does Occupational Diving, even though we are only planning to do recreational dives. Could you recommend someone that we can go to, or clarify what the test involves as we don't want to get there and then be told we haven't completed all necessary tests.
Thanks all.
Lisa.
Hi Lisa,
Welcome to the forums.
The diving medical for recreational diving is called A(ustralian) S(tandards) 4005.1 so a 4005.1 and 'Australian Standards' diving medical should be the same.
The occupational diving medical is AS 2299 and is not required for recreational diving.
The length of the examination depends a lot on what information is elicited during the exam and between 30 and 60 minutes is the norm per person.
Regarding your partners blood poressure, it depends more on the cause of the high blood pressure (hypertension) than the BP itself (130/60 is normal).
So that would be the information that the diving doctor would be interested in as elevated blood pressure is unusual in someone in their mid 20's.
Also there is an issue of the drugs he is using to maintain his blood pressure. Some are not recommended in diving due to their adverse effects on diving performance (beta blockers) and some can cause persistent cough which can make diving difficult.
Simple answer is that a face to face hisotry and examination with s good diving doctor would be the best option and the diving doctors list is available to you above. I cannot recommend a specific person as it is not SPUMS policy to endorse particular practitioners.
Good luck and I am sure that yopu'll enjoy diving as much as the rest of us.
Regards Glen
Hello Dr Glen Hawkins,
Your response to Lisa mentions possible adverse affect on diving performance caused by Beta blockers and I wonder if you could expand on that comment.
I have now been diving for some forty years. For about fifteen years I worked as a diving instructor, commercial dive boat operator, dive master and pretty serious diver. These days I am a recreational diver with between twenty to thirty easy dives a year. All of that experience has taught me that I know and understand very little about diving. I read with interest and place great value on the comments of people of your profession standing and great publications like the SPUMS journal.
For about the last twenty years I have had high blood pressure and taken medication to control that condition. Without medication 145/100, with medication 125/80. At times I believe the medication used was a Beta blocker. In my ignorance, and it embarrasses me to admit, I have never fully understood what Beta blockers are, how they work and why they may have an adverse affect on recreational divers.
Could you, in simple terms for a simple man, please explain how they work and the risk?
Kind regards,
Graham
Hello Graham,
Beta blockers are drugs that block the beta adrenergic receptors in the body. The main affect is that the heart rate of the body is controlled by the beta receptors and when you increase your exercise level the body accelerates the heart rate to compensate, increasing blood pressure and flow to tissues (mainly muscle). This is a little simplified but is what is relevant for diving.
The drugs that are used as beta blockers are used to limit this accelration and in fact make the resting heart rate lower as well (down to about 40 bpm in extreme cases) but your ability to increase your blood pressure is compromised. Therefore your ability to increase your exercise capabilities is also compromised and in diving, you may not be able to increase your work rate to swim against a current for example.
Thats why beta blockers are generally contraindicated in diving medicals and as there are a lot of other blood pressure control mechanisms available that can be used that don't compromise your ability to dive. One special case is that diuretics (drugs that lower blood pressure by making you reduce your blood volume by urination) probably shoukd also be avoided as well as there is concern regarding the level of hydration and the risk of developing DCI.
Please note that beta blockers and diuretics used in heart failure are a very different case and all medications should not be stopped without discussing this with your own doctor.
Regards Glen
Thanks a lot Glen.
You've given us a lot of valuable information and I think we better get our dive medicals done as soon as possible.
Cheers, Lisa.