Bubbles forming in or near joints are the presumed cause of joint pain (the bends). With high levels of bubbles, complex reactions can take place in the body. The spinal cord and brain are usually affected, causing numbness, paralysis, impaired coordination and disorders of higher cerebral function.
What are symptoms of the bends?
Symptoms of DCS
- Unusual fatigue.
- Itchy skin.
- Pain in the joints and/or muscles of the arms, legs or torso.
- Dizziness, vertigo and ringing in the ears.
- Numbness, tingling and paralysis.
- Shortness of breath.
How painful are the bends?
Sometimes a dull ache, more rarely a sharp pain. Active and passive motion of the joint may aggravate the pain. The pain may be reduced by bending the joint to find a more comfortable position. If caused by altitude, pain can occur immediately or up to many hours later.
How serious are the bends?
Decompression sickness (DCS), known as ‘the bends’ because of the associated joint pain, is a potentially deadly condition caused by bubbles of nitrogen gas forming in the blood and tissues. It’s most common among divers using scuba tanks, but can affect free-divers and people at high altitude.
What happens if you get the bends? – Related Questions
Will the bends go away on its own?
In some cases, symptoms may remain mild or even go away by themselves. Often, however, they strengthen in severity until you must seek medical attention, and they may have longer-term repercussions.
Can the bends be cured?
1) Professional treatment for the Bends
Hyperbaric treatment can take as long as 12 hours or more depending on the severity of symptoms. The chamber is a pressurized environment which reduces the size of the bubbles and helps them to be reabsorbed. It also provides large amounts of oxygen to the damaged tissues.
Why can’t you dive again after getting the bends?
The disruption of blood supply to the area where the fractures occurred or surgery was performed–the formation of scar tissue and altered blood flow may not allow for the most effective off-gassing of nitrogen from surrounding tissue once it is absorbed during the dive.
Why do freedivers not get the bends?
Decompression sickness (DCS) after freediving is very rare. Freedivers simply do not on-gas enough nitrogen to provoke DCS. Thus, very few cases of DCS in freedivers have ever been reported, and these have involved repeated deep dives in a short time frame.
Do pilots get the bends?
The longer the duration of the exposure to altitudes of 18,000 ft. and above, the greater the risk of altitude DCS. There are some reports indicating a higher risk of altitude DCS with increasing age. There is some indication that recent joint or limb injuries may predispose individuals to developing “the bends.”
How far down do you have to worry about the bends?
At what depth do the bends occur? Most often, the bends are a real concern after 30 feet (9.1 m). The deeper you go, the more likely you are to run into the bends if you surface too quickly. Once you dive deeper than 30 feet (9.1 m), the bends become a serious potential problem.
How deep do you have to drive to get the bends?
The Bends/DCS in very simple terms
Anyone who dives deeper than 10 metres (30ft.) while breathing air from a scuba tank is affecting the balance of gases inside the tissues of their body. The deeper you dive, the greater the effect. And the longer you stay at depth adds even more to this effect.
How do scuba divers avoid the bends?
Staying comfortably warm during decompression and after dive promotes inert gas elimination and reduces the risk of DCS. However, attempt to quickly rewarm after dive, like taking hot shower or bath may provoke decompression illness.
How do free divers not get the bends?
Decompression sickness (DCS) after freediving is very rare. Freedivers simply do not on-gas enough nitrogen to provoke DCS. Thus, very few cases of DCS in freedivers have ever been reported, and these have involved repeated deep dives in a short time frame.
Why do sharks not get the bends?
Marine mammals’ chest structure allows their lungs to compress. Scientists have assumed that this passive compression was marine mammals’ main adaptation to avoid taking up excessive nitrogen at depth and getting the bends.
Can you get the bends in 10 feet of water?
How great is the risk? About 40 percent of the bent divers made a single dive with only one ascent. The shallowest depth for a single dive producing bends symptoms was ten feet (three meters), with the bottom time unknown.
Do pilots get the bends?
The longer the duration of the exposure to altitudes of 18,000 ft. and above, the greater the risk of altitude DCS. There are some reports indicating a higher risk of altitude DCS with increasing age. There is some indication that recent joint or limb injuries may predispose individuals to developing “the bends.”
Do fighter pilots breathe pure oxygen?
Today’s fighter pilots therefore operate in cabins pressurized according to a pressurization schedule,15 they breathe up to 100% oxygen,15 and they wear and use pressure breathing equipment.
Is it safe to fly after scuba diving?
Both PADI and DAN recommend a minimum preflight surface interval of at least 12 hours for single dives and 18 hours for repetitive dives or multiple days of diving. The US Air Force recommends 24 hours after any dive, while the US Navy tables recommend only 2 hours before flying to altitude.
What should you never do while scuba diving?
Never hold your breath while ascending. Your ascent should be slow and your breathing should be normal. Never panic under water. If you become confused or afraid during a dive, stop, try to relax, and think through the problem.
Who should not scuba dive?
“If you can reach an exercise intensity of 13 METS (the exertion equivalent of running a 7.5-minute mile), your heart is strong enough for most any exertion,” he says. You also need to be symptom-free. If you have chest pain, lightheadedness or breathlessness during exertion, you should not be diving.