When Should I Call My Doctor?

If you notice health changes during or soon after a dive, you should assume that it is related to diving.

- Petar Denoble, M.D.

The most likely culprit is decompression illness (DCI), the likelihood of which increases with the severity of the dive. If DCI is suspected, you should receive first aid surface oxygen and a proper medical evaluation. Even if your condition is not DCI, first aid oxygen may still help and will not worsen your condition. If the medical exam indicates that DCI is likely, the next step may be hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in a recompression chamber. It is also important to drink plenty of liquid once back on the surface.

Some divers, however, may have symptoms during or after diving that ultimately are not related to diving. If you had health issues before the dive, it is possible that postdive symptoms are related to your preexisting condition. Distinguishing between DCI and unrelated health issues in postdive symptoms is often made more difficult because DCI may occur even after innocuous dives, or acute health issues unrelated to the dive may occur in divers who are unaware of any previous health issues.

In any case, the best thing you can do for the most accurate diagnosis is to be honest about all your symptoms, no matter how insignificant they may seem.

HEART ATTACK AND STROKE