Diving in the Red Sea: the health checks that matter

Sharm El-Sheikh exists because of diving. Ras Mohammed, the Straits of Tiran and the Thistlegorm bring tens of thousands of divers a year, from first-timers to technical divers. Most problems I see aren't dramatic decompression illness; they're ears, sinuses and people who shouldn't have been in the water that day.

Before you dive

Dive centres use a medical questionnaire. If you answer yes to anything — asthma, heart disease, diabetes, epilepsy, recent surgery, pregnancy, some medications — you need a doctor's assessment, not a signature. A proper fitness-to-dive assessment looks at your heart and lungs, your ears, and how your conditions and medications interact with pressure and exertion. It takes 30 minutes and can be done in the clinic.

Ears and sinuses

By far the commonest diving problem. Don't dive with a cold, blocked nose or ear infection — you can't equalise, and forcing it causes barotrauma that can end your trip or worse. Pain, muffled hearing or dizziness after a dive needs an examination the same day. Decongestants have a place before a dive but wearing off at depth causes "reverse block"; ask before using them.

Decompression illness

Joint pain, numbness or tingling, unusual fatigue, dizziness, difficulty breathing or a skin rash in the hours after diving is decompression illness until proven otherwise. Breathe oxygen if available, drink water, and contact the hyperbaric chamber — Sharm El-Sheikh has one — or your dive centre immediately. Don't fly.

Flying after diving

At least 12 hours after a single no-decompression dive, 18 hours after repetitive dives or several days of diving, and longer after any dive requiring decompression stops. Plan your last dive day accordingly; a lost dive is cheaper than a hyperbaric chamber.

Marine injuries

Coral cuts get infected easily — clean them properly and see someone if they redden. Lionfish and stonefish stings are treated with hot water immersion (as hot as you can stand, 30–90 minutes) and then a doctor. Look, don't touch, is the rule that prevents most of it.