Diving injuries and the Red Sea: when to go to hospital

The Red Sea is one of the most dived coastlines in the world, and most people go home with nothing worse than sore ears. Some do not. This is a plain guide to the symptoms that mean you should stop diving and get looked at, rather than wait and see.

Note for review: this article deliberately gives no treatment instructions. Everything below is about recognising a problem and seeking care. Please have a MedPark physician confirm the wording before this is published.

Get help straight away if, during or after a dive, you have any of the following:

• Joint or limb pain that starts after surfacing.
• Numbness, tingling, weakness, or difficulty walking.
• Dizziness, confusion, or unusual tiredness.
• Shortness of breath or chest pain.
• A rash or mottled skin.
• Problems with vision, hearing, or speech.

These can appear hours after a dive, sometimes after you are back at the hotel. Do not fly and do not dive again until you have been assessed.

Ear pain, a blocked feeling that will not clear, ringing, or discharge after diving are all worth having looked at, particularly if they persist into the next day. Ear problems are the most common reason divers on this coast see a doctor.

Jellyfish stings, contact with fire coral, sea urchin spines and coral cuts are common. Get medical help if there is severe pain, a spreading reaction, difficulty breathing, or if the wound is deep, dirty, or still has something in it. Coral cuts in warm water infect easily and are worth cleaning properly rather than covering with a plaster.

Diving is tiring and the Red Sea sun is strong. Headache, cramps, nausea and feeling faint after a day on a boat are usually heat and dehydration rather than anything to do with the dive itself, but they are worth taking seriously.

MedPark Health Hub in Hurghada and MedPark Hospital in El Quseir are open 24 hours with diagnostics on site. If you are unsure whether something is serious, call. It costs nothing to ask, and diving problems are much easier to deal with early.