Decompression Sickness - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Decompression sickness, also called the bends, is a painful condition that results from a too-rapid change from a high- to low-pressure environment. It is caused by nitrogen bubbles forming in the bloodstream and tissues of the body. The bubbles occur if you move from deep water towards the surface in too short a space of time. It is a type of diving hazard and dysbarism. Symptoms occur soon after the dive has finished and, in the most serious cases, it can lead to unconsciousness or death. The symptoms of decompression sickness vary because the nitrogen bubbles can form in different parts of the body. The diver may complain of headache or vertigo, unusual tiredness or fatigue. He or she may have a rash, pain in one or more joints, tingling in the arms or legs, muscular weakness or paralysis. Less often, breathing difficulties, shock, unconsciousness or death may be seen. The symptoms generally appear in a relatively short period after completing the dive. The risk of developing decompression sickness increases with increasing pressure and with the length of time spent in a pressurized environment.

Decompression sickness, also known as the bends, is one danger of diving. Other dangers include nitrogen narcosis, oxygen toxicity and simple drowning (if you run out of air before making it back to the surface). Decompression sickness may affect a variety of organs and can range from mild to severe. Nitrogen bubbles may form in small blood vessels or in the tissues themselves. Tissues with a high fat content, such as those in the central nervous system, are particularly likely to be affected, because nitrogen dissolves very readily in fats. Decompression sickness was called caisson disease in the nineteenth century because it occurred among construction workers who worked in caissons, building the supports for bridges at the bottom of lakes and rivers. Decompression sickness is usually first diagnosed by observing the diver's symptoms. Treatment of decompression sickness involves reversing the conditions under which it first occurred.

Causes of Decompression sickness

The common causes and risk factor's of Decompression sickness:

• An abrupt change in air or water pressure.
• Smoking.
• Failure to take recommended safety stops.
• High percentage of body fat.
• Use of alcohol or tobacco.
• Injuries (old or current).
• Lung disease (in the case of lung rupture).

Symptoms of Decompression sickness

Some sign and symptoms related to Decompression Sickness are as follows:

• Extreme fatigue.
• Dizziness.
• Confusion.
• Weakness in arms or legs.
• Joint pain.
• Chest pain (from lung rupture).
• Stomach pain.

Treatment of Decompression sickness

• Treatment consists of supportive measures, including recompression and oxygen administration.
• Analgesics, such as aspirin, also may be given for pain.
• Shortacting barbiturates may be given to treat seizures.
• People with lung-related symptoms, skin rashes or neurological symptoms of decompression sickness also should be treated with hyperbaric oxygen.