Treating And Preventing Bends In Scuba Diving
Explanation Of The Cure For Scuba Decompression Sickness
Oct 18, 2008
For information on how the Bends, or decompression sickness, occurs in scuba diving, refer to The Bends In Scuba Diving.
The treatment of the Bends is complicated and expensive. For very minor cases the diver can get better with no treatment. The nitrogen bubbles, if small enough, will eventually be reabsorbed.
Minor Symptoms Of The Bends
Treatment of the Bends starts with the correct diagnosis, which can be a challenge if the diver exhibits only minor symptoms. The physiology of each diver with the Bends is different, so each diver’s symptoms will be different.
Symptoms also depend on where in the body the nitrogen bubbles impact.
Minor symptoms of decompression sickness can be:
- headaches
- nausea
- dizziness
- shortness of breath
- minor pain in the joints or areas of the body
- itching or burning of the skin
- tiredness or general lethargy
Not all these symptoms are present and can vary from mild to severe. Some divers have only exhibited sinus problems.
These symptoms are generalized in nature and could relate to other medical problems. The best advice is for divers to be well aware of depths and times they have been diving and to be aware the Bends is a possibility.
Specialized medical treatment should be sought if a diver feels different than normal in any way and there is even the slight possibility of the Bends.
Major symptoms can be collapse, severe pains, unconsciousness.
Bends Treatment In A Decompression Chamber
For severe cases the patient must undergo recompression to force the nitrogen bubbles back into solution. The pressure is then slowly brought back to atmospheric. This is carried out in a decompression, or hyperbaric, chamber.
This is a large tank in which the patient is placed and the pressure inside slowly increased, then decreased back to atmospheric. Sometimes another person stays with the patient for monitoring and moral support.
The patient will usually breathe 100% oxygen to reduce the amount of nitrogen in the blood. If using oxygen, the depth equivalent is not taken deeper than 10 metres, as oxygen becomes toxic at higher pressure.
In a bad case, the patient may undergo a series of decompression sessions in the chamber over a few days or weeks.
The Bends should not be treated by taking the patient back underwater. Refer to Treating The Bends Underwater.
Flying And The Bends
Flying a patient to the nearest decompression chamber can be a problem. As the plane gains altitude the pressure decreases so more nitrogen will bubble out; and existing bubbles will grow. If the patient has to be flown, it is usually just high enough to ensure the aircraft’s safety.
Preventing The Bends
Divers breathing nitrogen at depth means the possibility of the Bends is always present.
Divers have been known to get the Bends from coming up too fast. One fast ascent may just result in a mild case, but two or three fast ascents over a few days can compound the problem.
Scuba instructors and divemasters are vulnerable when teaching and doing a number of dives and ascents in the course of a lesson.
Flying soon after diving can lead to the Bends. At some dive resorts, such as Lady Elliot Island on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, access is by plane. In these situations it is best not to dive 12 hours prior to flying.
The Bends is a serious diving medical condition. Specialized treatment should be sought quickly even if a diver is just generally unwell. At worst the Bends can cause death; or if lucky a diver might just have their future diving career restricted.
