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MEDICAL FAQs |
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Dive Medical questions & answers for common scuba diving conditions and illness provided in conjunction with the doctors at the London Diving Chamber and Midlands Diving Chamber. | |
All Categories » Endocrine » Thyroid
QUESTION I am currently in the U.S. Navy and stationed at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City, Fl. When I reached the School here I was told by the DMO that I was disqualified from diving duty due to Graves Disease. I was diagnosed in 1994, treated with radioactive iodine and am now on Levothyroxine. I have never experienced a problem with this disease and am a PADI certified diver, so I have had the experience of pressure at depth and have had no problems there either.I would like your opinion your opinion as to whether I am fit to dive. ANSWER Graves Disease is a relatively rare condition that affects the thyroid gland a small gland in the front of the neck that is responsible for regulating the metabolism of the body. In Graves disease, the body’s immune system attacks the gland making it overproduce thyroxine, a hormone that acts on every cell in the body. In most cases the condition is picked up quickly, and treated with drugs, surgery or radioactive iodine. Usually this results in the gland becoming underactive and not producing enough thyroxine, and it has to be replaced in the form of tablets. Once stabilized there are usually no long-term problems. |