Hi SD fans, and welcome back to the channel. We have had a long relationship with Divers
Alert Network, and in this video, I’ll present their advice on diving and diabetes, and review
the latest research and guidelines for those suffering from the disease.
For those here for the first time, my name is Mark, I am the editor-in-chief of the Scuba
Diver media brand, and welcome to the Scuba Diver YouTube Channel. Before we get into
this latest video, take two seconds to hit that subscribe button so you don’t miss
out on any future content, and ring that bell, so you get notification of the latest releases.
Everyone loves something for nothing, right? Check out the description below for all sorts
of goodies, like a free digital subscription to any of our magazines.
Now, let’s dive into the video!
For many years, the medical community have advised against diving with diabetes. Diabetes
is a disease which affects the endocrine system, the collection of glands that produce hormones
regulating your metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sexual function, reproduction,
sleep, and mood, among other things. The main threat of diabetes is the effect
it has on your pancreas, the organ which produces insulin and glucagon. These are the two hormones
which balance and maintain your blood glucose (blood sugar). As of 2015, an estimated 415
million people already suffer from diabetes worldwide and by 2040, the number of diabetics
is estimated to rise to around 642 million. Does this mean diabetics are not allowed to
dive? Absolutely not! But let’s run you through important information
you should know. Having diabetes means either your pancreas is not producing enough insulin,
or the cells of the body are not responding properly to the insulin produced. There are
two main types of diabetes:
• Type 1 diabetes entails the pancreas's failure to produce enough insulin, which leads
to insulin dependency (needing insulin injections). The cause is currently unknown.
• • Type 2 diabetes begins with insulin resistance,
a condition in which cells fail to respond to insulin properly, which may also lead to
a lack of insulin. This type of diabetes can be controlled by maintaining a healthy diet
and by taking oral medication. The most-common cause is an unhealthy lifestyle, excessive
body weight and lack of exercise.
The reason why medical experts have advised against diving with diabetes is due to the
fragile and potentially life-threatening conditions diabetics may encounter when suffering from
high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) or dangerously low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
Just so you understand, insulin (and physical exercise) lowers your blood sugar, and glucagon
(as well as foods with glucose) raises your blood sugar. Diabetics may often suffer from
overly high and low sugars, which puts them at a much higher risk of suffering from an
accident underwater. This means that diving underwater in a state of hyperglycaemia or
hypoglycaemia may lead to loss of consciousness and, in some cases, even death. So naturally,
medical experts have raised a red flag when it comes to diabetics diving, especially when
their illness is unstable or newly discovered. Common risks, symptoms and effects of suffering
from high and low blood sugars include:
• Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar): extreme thirst, frequent urination, dry skin, hunger,
blurred vision, nausea, drowsiness, slow-healing wounds, vomiting.
• • Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar): trembling,
fast heartbeat, sweating, dizziness, anxiousness, paleness, hunger, weakness/fatigue, headache,
fainting.
When in doubt, diabetics must immediately check their blood sugar using a blood glucose
monitoring device, and either eat or drink something with sugar when blood glucose is
low, or take the appropriate medicine to counteract high blood glucose.
Symptoms and precautions are difficult, if not impossible, to identify and manage underwater,
and due to the scope of these potential problems caused by diabetes, diabetics possess a greater
threat when it comes to diving safely. In the past, diving with diabetes was definitely
considered inadvisable. Even today, some medical experts strongly disapprove. However, in recent
years, many divers with diabetes have successfully proved the medical industry wrong, proving
to the community that it is possible to pursue your passion for diving without jeopardising
or sacrificing your health and safety - by taking the right precautions.
When diving with diabetes, it is important to know your limits and always speak with
professionals to get an objective opinion of your health condition before attempting
to dive underwater. No matter how controlled your condition may be, diabetics cannot dive
without restrictions. The same applies to people without diabetes, of course, yet diabetics
must accept that their risks are higher - even if their diving skills are equal to non-diabetics.
Suffering from diabetes should never prevent anyone from exploring the world, but the right
safety precautions should always be taken. The diving and medical community has evolved
a great deal. Whereas once suffering from diabetes meant you were banned and forbidden
from diving, attitudes have luckily changed.
Results from research by DAN Europe suggest that to prevent worsening of hypoglycaemia
and to correctly interpret hypoglycaemia-like symptoms while diving, diabetic divers could
benefit from real-time Blood Glucose (or BG) monitoring during their dives. During a study,
26 dives were recorded with no statistical difference between the BG recorded every five
minutes pre, during and post dives. Furthermore, this study was a perfect example
of how technology can help diabetics increase their dive safety using a CGM Monitor in a
waterproof case. In such cases, blood glucose levels are seen in real-time on a display,
allowing the diver to continuously check their BG.
Another study by the DAN Europe Research Division found similar results, stating diving does
not imply significant risk of hypoglycaemia even if the continuous monitoring showed a
progressive lowering of blood glucose levels. These findings further encourage diabetics
to try diving. From the studies conducted by DAN, a general conclusion has been obtained:
a real-time continuous glucose monitoring system used by diabetic divers during diving
can provide immediate information on blood glucose values and trend, with a significant
increase in diving safety and with an increase of sports medicine knowledge and interest
in this specific field. Provided you do not suffer from any long-term
complications, diving with diabetes is totally acceptable provided you undergo regular checkups
and keep your diabetes well controlled to avoid any potential threats.
Let’s take a look at DAN’s recommendations for diving with diabetes
• Speak to a physician and diabetes/diving specialist before attempting to dive.
• Always wear a diabetes bracelet so that fellow divers are aware in case of an emergency.
• Carry oral glucose with you at all times and make sure your buddy is aware and has
some too. • Have a glucagon injection on site (at
the surface) in case you lose consciousness. • Eat food with slow-digesting carbohydrates
before diving to ensure a balanced glucose level.
• Measure your blood glucose immediately before and after diving.
• Avoid depths greater than 30m - Nitrogen Narcosis can be confused with Hypoglycaemia!
• Avoid diving for longer than 60 minutes. • Log your dives and take note of your blood
sugars for future reference. • Do not dive in cold waters, strong currents
or conditions which demand strenuous activity. • Ensure you have a stable blood sugar with
Type 1. • Consider using a Continuous Glucose Monitoring
(CGM) system to check your BG in real-time. • Stay hydrated and healthy before, during
and after diving. • Remain relaxed and enjoy the experience.
Are you a diver with diabetes? Or a diabetic looking to maybe get into scuba diving? Leave
your comments below, and if you have a question, fire away – if we can’t answer it, I am
sure some of our ever-growing subscribers will be able to assist.
If you enjoyed this video, please hit that subscribe button, so you don’t miss out
on any of our future content, and go check out our playlist for more educational and
entertaining videos. As always, if you are going diving, stay safe!