Coral Reef Travel is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting coral reef ecosystems through education and action. Also providing diving related information.
// August 9th, 2010 // 61 Comments » // Diving, Medical
Where did all your energy go? You burned it, but not in ways you’d notice–ways that work up a sweat. (more…)
// June 28th, 2010 // 106 Comments » // Medical
A group of certified divers and student divers got together, through a dive store, to charter a dive boat. The dive store supplied two instructors to work with the students, and the boat had a crew of three, all of whom were instructors. One buddy pair–a man and a woman who were friends–had come on the trip for fun and to gain more experience toward upgrading their certifications. Both were medical professionals.
// June 28th, 2010 // 36 Comments » // Medical
Doctors never really get away from their work because people are always asking for medical advice. We’re happy to help, but most of the ailments our fellow divers ask us about can be self-treated. With that in mind, here’s a travel-ready guide to beating the most common ailments.
// May 30th, 2010 // No Comments » // Medical
It’s not uncommon to see obese divers; they are a reflection of the general lack of fitness among Americans. However, obesity doesn’t preclude a person from diving. Some of the most experienced and skillful divers I have known were significantly overweight. But obesity in a diver does lead to an increased risk of complications and health problems when diving. In fact, anyone who is 20 percent or more above their ideal body weight is disqualified from commercial, military or scientific diving in the United States. (more…)
// May 30th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Medical
Porcupines of the sea, urchin spines are like hypodermic needles that break off once deep inside you, injecting their venom. The venom from stonefish spines is delivered deep into the wound and produces excruciating pain that may last several days. Stingrays use one or more large spines or stings on their tails as defensive weapons. When you step on one, the ray thrusts its tail forward and upward, lacerating or puncturing your foot, ankle or leg. (more…)
// May 30th, 2010 // No Comments » // Medical
With the enormous increase in the number of women scuba divers in the past decade, questions have arisen concerning health issues specific to females. Unfortunately, most of the research on underwater human physiology has been conducted on male divers, leaving many of the questions pertaining to female physiology and diving unanswered. One of the most common: Is it safe to dive during menstruation? As with many diving-related health issues, the answer is “yes, but …” (more…)
// May 30th, 2010 // No Comments » // Medical
It seems odd in a way: Divers can be floating in millions of gallons of water, yet find themselves as parched as desert sands. Unfortunately, this predicament can have serious consequences for divers. There are several ways in which diving and the underwater environment contribute to dehydration. It is important to understand these factors and how to prevent or remedy them, since dehydration is thought to increase the risk for DCS. (more…)
// May 30th, 2010 // No Comments » // Medical
// May 30th, 2010 // No Comments » // Medical
In the past, a history of asthma has been considered by many doctors to be an absolute contraindication to diving. Even the individual who “grew out” of his asthma was precluded from diving “unless equipped to carry his own recompression chamber wherever he goes,” the 1984 edition of The Physician’s Guide to Diving Medicine firmly states. This has been the position of the Diver’s Alert Network (DAN) because of the fear that asthmatics are more prone to air trapping and, thus, arterial gas embolism (AGE).
