Decompression illness in SCUBA divers is a result of surfacing too fast, which lowers the pressure on the body faster than should happen and causes adjustment issues. In normal blood, nitrogen is diffused throughout the liquid and can be absorbed by tissues in the body. When the pressure increases on the outside of the body (i.e. when a diver goes far underwater) this makes more nitrogen dissolve and diffuse into the tissues. This in itself is completely normal for divers, and does not cause any harm. However, if a diver resurfaces too quickly, the pressure drops dramatically and suddenly the nitrogen can’t stay diffused anymore. Since nitrogen is normally a gas, it reverts to its normal condition and forms tiny bubbles in the diver’s blood and tissues. Depending on where exactly the bubbles form, this causes all sorts of problems, which are often quite painful. To prevent this from happening, divers who go deep enough to cause this problem must resurface very slowly, stopping for a short time at certain depths. This gives the nitrogen time to get back into the lungs to be breathed out bit by bit rather than all trying to force its way out at once, and effectively eliminates the problems that would have arisen.
Treatment Decompression illness is treated by recompression, which allows the nitrogen in the blood to redissolve. In order to do this, the diver is placed in a decompression chamber, which is a steel tank that can be pressurized by pumping in air. The pressure is then slowly lowered until it is back to normal, allowing the nitrogen to get out of the body more safely, without making bubbles in the blood. During this treatment, at least for the beginning, the diver wears an oxygen mask and breathes 100% oxygen, which prevents more nitrogen from entering the body and makes it easier for the nitrogen already inside to get out. The treatment generally lasts five or six hours, during which time a specially trained helper stays with the diver in the chamber while a doctor oversees the treatment from outside the chamber. After treatment, the diver stays in the hospital for the next 24 hours in case her condition suddenly gets worse. In some more severe cases of neurological decompression illness, there can be permanent damage to the nervous system, for which the symptoms can vary. If the illness is not treated, there may also be a permanent handicap in another system in the body, such as muscle weakness. As with the symptoms, the permanent effects may vary.
Decompression Illness and Nitrogen Narcosis
Nitrogen narcosis is a mental effect of having too much nitrogen dissolved in the body, which happens while diving because the outside pressure is increased. It produces a state similar to alcohol intoxication, described as a temporary decline in senses or movement, or numbness. It is believed that the effect is caused by nitrogen dissolving into nerve membranes and causing problems with the signal transmissions. Nitrogen narcosis occurs during dives, as opposed to decompression illness, which happens after dives. They also have slightly different causes, as nitrogen narcosis is what happens when too much nitrogen gets into the blood and tissues, while decompression illness happens when that nitrogen tries to get out.
Decompression illness in SCUBA divers is a result of surfacing too fast, which lowers the pressure on the body faster than should happen and causes adjustment issues. In normal blood, nitrogen is diffused throughout the liquid and can be absorbed by tissues in the body. When the pressure increases on the outside of the body (i.e. when a diver goes far underwater) this makes more nitrogen dissolve and diffuse into the tissues. This in itself is completely normal for divers, and does not cause any harm. However, if a diver resurfaces too quickly, the pressure drops dramatically and suddenly the nitrogen can’t stay diffused anymore. Since nitrogen is normally a gas, it reverts to its normal condition and forms tiny bubbles in the diver’s blood and tissues. Depending on where exactly the bubbles form, this causes all sorts of problems, which are often quite painful. To prevent this from happening, divers who go deep enough to cause this problem must resurface very slowly, stopping for a short time at certain depths. This gives the nitrogen time to get back into the lungs to be breathed out bit by bit rather than all trying to force its way out at once, and effectively eliminates the problems that would have arisen.
Treatment
Decompression illness is treated by recompression, which allows the nitrogen in the blood to redissolve. In order to do this, the diver is placed in a decompression chamber, which is a steel tank that can be pressurized by pumping in air. The pressure is then slowly lowered until it is back to normal, allowing the nitrogen to get out of the body more safely, without making bubbles in the blood. During this treatment, at least for the beginning, the diver wears an oxygen mask and breathes 100% oxygen, which prevents more nitrogen from entering the body and makes it easier for the nitrogen already inside to get out. The treatment generally lasts five or six hours, during which time a specially trained helper stays with the diver in the chamber while a doctor oversees the treatment from outside the chamber. After treatment, the diver stays in the hospital for the next 24 hours in case her condition suddenly gets worse. In some more severe cases of neurological decompression illness, there can be permanent damage to the nervous system, for which the symptoms can vary. If the illness is not treated, there may also be a permanent handicap in another system in the body, such as muscle weakness. As with the symptoms, the permanent effects may vary.
Decompression Illness and Nitrogen Narcosis
Nitrogen narcosis is a mental effect of having too much nitrogen dissolved in the body, which happens while diving because the outside pressure is increased. It produces a state similar to alcohol intoxication, described as a temporary decline in senses or movement, or numbness. It is believed that the effect is caused by nitrogen dissolving into nerve membranes and causing problems with the signal transmissions. Nitrogen narcosis occurs during dives, as opposed to decompression illness, which happens after dives. They also have slightly different causes, as nitrogen narcosis is what happens when too much nitrogen gets into the blood and tissues, while decompression illness happens when that nitrogen tries to get out.