Asthma and Diving
About the age of seven, I developed a pretty bad chesty cough which my GP diagnosed as asthma. He gave me an inhaler and told me to see a specialist. The first specialist I saw continued to treat me for asthma by giving me new inhalers. But then she moved from the hospital and I saw another specialist. This guy was a bit older and seemed somewhat more experienced. He checked me out and told me that I didn't have asthma; it may just have been a brief thing I had grown out of but I certainly didn't have it anymore.
All was fine until I went to sit my PADI Open Water Course where it says "Have you ever had or do you currently have Asthma, or wheezing with breathing, or wheezing with exercise." Now I have never suffered an asthma attack, never gotten very short of breath, even after exercise and am in fairly good shape. However my doc stuck me on a mechanised peak flow metre which showed I reached 99% of expected range for my age/height. But the doc was afraid of the 1% and wouldn't clear me. I should point out I don't have one doc but go to a practice where a number of them can see me.
All was fine until I went to sit my PADI Open Water Course where it says "Have you ever had or do you currently have Asthma, or wheezing with breathing, or wheezing with exercise." Now I have never suffered an asthma attack, never gotten very short of breath, even after exercise and am in fairly good shape. However my doc stuck me on a mechanised peak flow metre which showed I reached 99% of expected range for my age/height. But the doc was afraid of the 1% and wouldn't clear me. I should point out I don't have one doc but go to a practice where a number of them can see me.
