DOES A HOT SHOWER = DCS?

DOES A HOT SHOWER = DCS?

Does a hot shower after a dive really give us a greater chance of getting bent?( Q from,John Setzen,From Canada)

 Studies have shown that warming the skin after a cold dive can cause a skin bend.This may be because the solubility of dissolved nitrogen falls as the temperature of a tissue rises. Hence,warming the skin may precipitate bubble formation and cause skin bend.

 But there is also a theoretical risk-that by warming the skin and increasing the blood supply to the skin it may draw blood away for other areas of the body,which may then lose nitrogen more slowly and make it easier for bubble to form elsewhere in the body.This may result in more seriouss joint pains or even neurological symtomps.

 The fact that so many divers, especially in cold water, do take hot showers after dive without resulting in an epidemic of DCS would indicate it is not high risk.

However, after deeper dives (greater then about 24M) or any decompression dive it is probably best to avoid getting heated up in any way-e.g. lingering in a hot shower, soaking in bath or spa, or sitting in a sauna.Keep cool and comfortable for the rest of the day. Taking a quick shower to get the salt off the skin and freshen up is unlikely to alter the skin blood flow to any significant degree in hot water will.

Dr,John Parker is a well known dive phycisian and poet.He is also the author of the Sport Diving Medical and Senior Dive Medical Consultant for DAN Asia-Pacific. If youj got any diving medical question,Email david@scubadiveraa.com

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