Self certification wording change? (SAA)

[IanRMartin]

Hi folks,
Once we were allowed to self certificate (SAA) for diving my wife and I have until this time when reading though the form my wife noticed something which she was sure has changed its the part where is states:
"Have you taken any medication for asthma" or something similar she was sure it said last time "DO you take any medication for asthma"
Now my question she had childhood asthma and took medication for a couple of years but hasn't ever since can she still self certificate or should she get signed off to dive by her GP?
Any info or comments most welcome.
Ian

[Mark Powell]

The question on the self cert medical asks

Originally Posted by IanRMartin

"Have you taken any medication for asthma"

and you said

Originally Posted by IanRMartin

she took medication for a couple of years

So the answer to the question on the form is clearly yes.

I was at the UKSDMC conference on Friday and sat in on the Asthma update. My summary of this (as a layman not a doctor) was that some forms of asthma are OK and some are not. It's not always obvious which is OK and which is not. A non-diving doctor (or a layman) may not know which types are important and which are not. So the best person person to give you a definitive answer is a diving medical referee.

[Clare Gledhill]

I have an inhaler which I tend to have to use if I have a reaction to something (diesel fumes can be nasty - which means that I avoid the landrovers at the NDC like the plague and position myself on boats accordingly). I take no 'preventative' medication.

My GP was pretty relaxed about my diving - but did ask for a chest x ray to ensure that my lungs were in good shape (I've since been told that this is pretty pointless) My HSE medical was a bit more thorough (with exercise/peak flow tests) but again no problem to continue. It appears that exercise or stress induced asthma is a no no - but don't be put off from seeking a medical sign off - it is not as if any evidence of asthma in the past or present is an automatic ban on diving - it isn't.