The bends, also known as decompression sickness (DCS) or Caisson disease, occurs in scuba divers or high altitude or aerospace events when dissolved gases (mainly nitrogen) come out of solution in bubbles and can affect just about any body area including joints, lung, heart, skin and brain.
What does getting the bends feel like?
Numbness and weakness: If gas bubbles get trapped around the spinal cord, you can develop numbness, tingling, and weakness in your arms or legs. Some people also experience back pain, trouble with bladder control, or even paralysis.
Why do scuba divers get the bends?
The Bends is an illness that arises from the rapid release of nitrogen gas from the bloodstream and is caused by bubbles forming in the blood and other tissues when a diver ascends to the surface of the ocean too rapidly. It is also referred to as Caisson sickness, decompression sickness (DCS), and Divers’ Disease.
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 when a diver gets the bends? – Related Questions
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.
How long does it take for the bends to kick in?
Symptoms of DCS can occur immediately after surfacing or up to 24 hours later. On average a diver with DCS will experience symptoms between 15 minutes and 12 hours following a dive.
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.
Does the bends cause permanent damage?
With severe DCS, you may have a permanent residual effect such as bladder dysfunction, sexual dysfunction or muscular weakness, to name a few. In some cases of neurological DCS, there may be permanent damage to the spinal cord, which may or may not cause symptoms.
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.
What are the 5 most important rules of scuba diving?
Good rules to follow for safe diving include:
- Never dive without a buddy.
- Never dive if you have a cold or are congested in your ears or nose.
- Always plan your dive, and always dive your plan.
- Check your diving equipment to make sure it works.
- Do not drink alcohol or take drugs before diving.
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.
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.”
What happens if you dive too deep too fast?
But if a diver rises too quickly, the nitrogen forms bubbles in the body. This can cause tissue and nerve damage. In extreme cases, it can cause paralysis or death if the bubbles are in the brain. Nitrogen narcosis.
What not to do after scuba diving?
Here are 7 things you should never do immediately after diving:
- Flying After Diving. Flying after scuba diving is one of the more widely known risks to divers.
- Mountain Climbing.
- Ziplining After Diving.
- Deep Tissue Massage.
- Relaxing in a Hot Tub.
- Excessive Drinking.
- Freediving After Scuba Diving.
What is the most common injury in scuba diving?
The most common injury in divers is ear barotrauma (Box 3-03). On descent, failure to equalize pressure changes within the middle ear space creates a pressure gradient across the eardrum.