Cirrhosis and Ascites
Here's a query from a scuba instructor:57 year old male, history of alcoholism & suffering cirrohsis of the liver. Very large, distended belly ( has the largest "outie" belly button…
Diving With Hepatitis C
Whether a diver with Hepatitis C (HCV) should dive depends upon several factors:-Stage of his disease-Level of hepatic involvement-Type of treatment he is receiving-Original cause of his HCV (drug injections?,…
Sprue (Coeliac Disease) and Seizure Activity
What is coeliac disease?This is a malabsorption condition in which there is atrophy of the villi in the small intestine, leading to loss of calcium and sodium. Recently described are…
Hernias and Diving
Hernias are openings in the abdominal wall through which abdominal contents escape and protrude to the outside. Inguinal hernias (groin) are the most freguently encountered and probably the most dangerous…
Intestinal Gas and Diving (Flatus)
Diving with intestinal gas can be an experience that most of us would rather not even think of--much less have to deal with.The gas has to conform to Boyle's law…
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Introduction Inflammatory Bowel Disease means inflammation of the bowel or gastrointestinal tract and can be classified into two types--ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). This classification may not be…
Heartburn and Peptic Disease
HeartburnIf you have a severe case of heartburn every time you dive and it gets worse on ascending to the surface, you probably have pressure-induced GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). Remember…