Should asthma sufferers take the dive?
In many countries scuba diving for asthma sufferers just isn't
possible owing to it being prohibited, but in other countries
it isn't. So what's the problem here? Basically what's going
on is insurance. Insurance company policies differ from one
country to the next, so scuba diving schools have to play it
safe or risk not getting covered. The fact that very few asthma
sufferers have died while scuba diving doesn't really play a
part in the equation. As with all other insurance policies,
the question is a hypothetical 'if' and not based on any real
world facts. Last year, which saw some 5,000 scuba diving related
accidents, only one was attributed to having suffered an asthma
attack whilst underwater.
The powers that be (and don't forget that these powers tend to be doctors), justify their prohibiting asthma sufferers from practicing scuba diving because of the false idea that if they were to get an asthma attack under water they wouldn't know how to breathe. They state that "the limiting factor for asthmatics is adequate ventilatory capacity underwater." This does not take into consideration though, each individual's own personal needs and abilities. Asthma is a disease that effects different people in different ways. Some get asthma attacks from being close to dogs and other animals while others do not. Some people are very sensitive to cold, dry air and some others aren't. There are literally dozens of possible triggers that can set off an asthma attack, and no two asthma cases are exactly alike.
In scuba diving, the main triggers for the onset of an asthma
attack are the cold air which divers have to breathe, and people
who are particularly susceptible to strong emotions like fear,
excitement and anger. These can be controlled, however, and
without the use of drugs. Alternative methods for bringing asthma
under control are becoming more and more important in asthma
sufferer's lives. Yoga for example, and other breathing techniques
can have an amazing effect on people with asthma. The author
of this article is very pleased to say that her asthma
was completely cured in this manner, and would love to see more
experts in the field getting involved.
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© Karon Beattie - http://www.cure-your-asthma.com
About the Author - Karon Beattie is a former asthma sufferer.
She is the author of several books including "Naturally
Free From Asthma" which describes how she eliminated her
own asthma. This
book has helped many other sufferers WorldWide do the same.
http://www.cure-your-asthma.com