General Information About Decompression Sickness
Disease Details and Frequently Asked Questions
Because divers ascend from the depths of the sea to the water's surface too quickly, the Nitrogen gas, which is dissolved in liquid form in the blood under high pressure, suddenly turns into gas and forms bubbles (foam), blocking the blood vessels. It's just like a shaken bottle of soda foaming when its cap is suddenly opened.
It is mostly seen in scuba divers. However, it can also rarely be seen in miners where pressure drops suddenly, high-altitude aircraft passengers whose pressure settings fail, or astronauts going on a spacewalk.
It starts shortly after reaching the surface (15 mins to 12 hours). Its most common symptom (The Bends) is unbearable, bending (making the person bend double) pain in the large joints. In advanced stages, skin itching/bruising, chest pain, shortness of breath (Chokes), loss of balance, and paralysis are seen.
Gas bubbles physically block blood circulation. If the bubbles block the spinal cord vessels, they can cause paralysis from the waist down; if they block brain vessels, stroke or coma; if they block heart vessels, sudden heart attack, rapidly leading to death.
The patient's recent diving history (especially depth, bottom time, and ascent speed) and the typical pain or neurological symptoms that emerge are 100% sufficient for diagnosis, and treatment is started without wasting time.
As first aid, the patient is immediately made to breathe 100% Pure Oxygen. The gold standard and only life-saving treatment is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (Decompression Chamber). The patient is taken into a special steel chamber that has the pressure at the depth the diver descended; with this pressure, the gas bubbles in their blood are liquefied and shrunk again, and then the pressure is reduced very slowly to ensure the patient safely expels the gas.
Our health library contents are prepared for informational purposes only and with scientific data available at the time of recording. For all your questions, concerns, diagnosis, or treatment regarding your health, please consult your doctor or a healthcare institution.
