Decompression Sickness

Decompression sickness also known as caisson disease or bends disease, generalized barotrauma.

People who love adventure would try scuba diving once in their lifetime. It is a wonderful experience diving into the sea with the sea creatures, which refers to as a wonderful world inside the sea.

But before diving into the sea you should know what precautions you should take and important factors you should know about scuba diving.

If you are planning for the scuba diving this article is for you.

What is Decompression Sickness?

Decompression sickness is a disorder in which nitrogen dissolved in the blood and tissues form bubbles. It is an injury that occurs because of the rapid decrease in the surrounding’s pressure to the body when the diver rapidly ascends upward from the core of the sea.

Who are at higher risk?

• Frequent Scuba divers
• Those who fly just after diving
• Overweight persons
• People with age above 50
• Diving in icy water.
• Persons who consume alcohol or tobacco
• Drug addicts
• Patients with Lung diseases
• Cardiac malformed persons who have heart muscles birth defect, foramen ovale, ventricular septal defect, arterial septal defect.

Why it happens?

According to the expert report,  Air comprises mainly of nitrogen and oxygen. Because it compresses air under high pressure, each breath taken at depth contains many more molecules than a breath taken at the surface. Because our body continuously uses oxygen, the extra oxygen molecules breathed under high pressure rarely accumulate.

 However, the extra nitrogen molecules accumulate in the blood and tissues. As outside pressure decreases during ascent from a dive or when leaving a compressed air environment, the accumulated nitrogen that cannot we exhale immediately forms bubbles in the blood and tissues. These bubbles may expand and injure tissue, or they may block blood vessels in many organs—either directly or by triggering small blood clots. This blood vessel blockage causes pain and various other symptoms, for example, sometimes similar to those of a stroke (such as sudden weakness on one side of the body, difficulty speaking, or dizziness), or even flu-like symptoms. Nitrogen bubbles also cause inflammation, causing swelling and pain in muscles, joints, and tendons.

Deep down in the sea, there is a high pressure and when divers ascends rapidly the pressure surrounding the body decreases rapidly because of which the decompression sickness happens.

WHAT IS THE MINIMUM DEPTH ESTIMATED FOR THE SCUBA DIVING?

The minimum depth necessary to produce DCS is estimated from observations of direct decompression to 1 atmosphere absolute (ATA) after a prolonged period at increased pressure (saturation exposure).

What are the symptoms OF DECOMPRESSION SICKNESS?

• Joint pain
• Fatigue
• Pain in muscles
• Stomach pain
• Chest pain
• Heaviness in the body
• Headache
• Confusion
• Double vision
• Vertigo
• Shock
• Dizziness.
• Weakness
• Rashes
• Itching
• Uneasiness

TYPES OF DECOMPRESSION SICKNESS

TYPE 1
It includes mild Symptoms which primarily affects joints and muscles.

TYPE 2
Severe symptoms which affect vital organs and neurological problem.

WHAT PREVENTIONS YOU SHOULD TAKE?

•  People should follow the guidelines given by Scuba Diving Manual. They should limit the depth and come for the surface with no stop limits by the divers.

• If you are at depth and may you want to ascend your body so, stop a few minutes there to ensure your body has time to adjust according to the surrounding pressure gradually.
• Strictly avoid alcohol for at least 24 hours before you dive.
• Pregnant women should avoid scuba diving.
• Wear a dive portable device to track the diver’s depth.
  Such a small computing device calculates the speed and shows the safe returns.
• Do not take flight after diving for at least 24 hours.
• People who suffered from the decompression sickness should reschedule their scuba divide for at least for 2 weeks.
• If you are new to diving always go with an experienced mentor, they will help you dive safely.

HOW LONG IT TAKES SYMPTOMS TO APPEAR

Decompression sickness symptoms appear with in an hour after diving.If you experience –

• Dizziness
• Weakness
• Change in walking
• Double vision
• Dizziness

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS?

Seek a medical emergency as soon as possible with an experienced doctor. The doctor may suggest recompression therapy which is commonly popular as hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
They may also ask you for a CT scan or MRI.

Read about Iron Deficiency Anaemia here.