If you’re not in good health and you’re considering scuba diving, make sure to talk to your doctor first. So, Can scuba diving cause stroke?
If you have a history of any medical condition that may be affected by pressure changes (like heart or lung disease), talk with your doctor before going on a scuba dive. They can help determine if it’s safe for you to go diving.
If you have had a stroke or seizure in the past, don’t dive until after consulting with your doctor; their advice will depend on what caused the stroke or seizure and how long ago it happened.
You could have a stroke or seizure because of pressure changes in your body
It’s important to know the symptoms of a stroke and seizure, as well as how to differentiate between them.
- A stroke is caused by a blood clot that blocks an artery in your brain. The symptoms are usually sudden, severe headache, numbness or weakness in your face, arms or legs; slurred speech; trouble seeing out of one or both eyes; and feeling as if you’re going to pass out.
- A seizure can also be triggered by changes in atmospheric pressure (the change from being underwater to on dry land causes this). The symptoms include shaking muscles throughout the body, loss of consciousness for a few seconds or minutes (but not always), confusion or disorientation after a seizure ends — these are all warning signs for potential strokes.
Choose healthy foods and maintain a healthy weight to avoid the risks that come with obesity
- Avoid foods that are high in fat, cholesterol and salt.
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
- Eat fish at least twice a week to help lower your risk of heart disease by reducing levels of triglycerides in the blood.
- Drink plenty of water if you are overweight or obese to help prevent dehydration during scuba diving activities.
- Exercise regularly for 30 minutes three or four times per week to maintain healthy blood pressure levels, which also reduces the risk of stroke when scuba diving
Avoid exercise like scuba diving if you have coronary artery disease
- Avoid exercise like scuba diving if you have coronary artery disease.
- Avoid exercise like scuba diving if you’re overweight.
- Avoid exercise like scuba diving if you have a history of heart problems, such as angina or previous heart attack, irregular heartbeat, or chest pain when exercising (angina).
- Avoid exercise like scuba diving if you have high blood pressure (hypertension).
Don’t smoke or use drugs that affect your heart
To reduce the risk of a stroke, you should avoid smoking tobacco products or using drugs that affect your heart.
Drugs that affect the heart are dangerous for scuba divers because they can increase your blood pressure and make it difficult to perform during underwater activities. Drugs like cocaine, amphetamines and alcohol can be especially harmful for those who dive regularly because they can cause an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) or sudden death from cardiac arrest. Divers with heart-related medical conditions such as high blood pressure or arrhythmias should avoid taking beta blockers prior to diving in order to prevent complications during their dives.
Scuba diving is safe for healthy people, but it can be a bad idea for those who have health problems
If you’re healthy, scuba diving is safe.
But if you have health problems, it may be dangerous to dive.
A number of health conditions can make scuba diving unsafe for you or cause problems while scuba diving:
- Heart disease or high blood pressure
- Bleeding disorders (including internal bleeding)
- Severe asthma (wheezing) or other lung problems that make it hard to breathe normally
- Dementia or confusion
Conclusion: can scuba diving cause stroke?
If you have any of these health problems, it’s probably best to avoid scuba diving. If you’re in good health, though, scuba diving can be a fun activity that will give you an adrenaline rush and some great memories.