Symptoms are instantaneous or within minutes. An AGE can occur from very shallow depths — even from swimming pools! Very little pressure difference is needed to provide a dangerously large expansion of gas in the lungs if a diver breathe holds. Pulmonary disease such as obstructive lung disease may increase the risk of AGE.
The most obvious presentation of an air gas embolism is the diver who surfaces unconscious and remains so, or the diver who loses consciousness within minutes of surfacing. Rapid evacuation to a treatment facility is essential. Decompression Sickness Symptoms. Do I have a bend? Recognising decompression illness DCI is the first step to recovery! To discuss or refer a patient for hyperbaric treatment then call our 24 hour advice line on: Why get treated at all?
Untreated bends cause damage! Failure to treat promptly and appropriately may lead to permanent impairment. Frequency of DCI Symptoms. Type 1 Decompression Sickness Symptoms. Joint bend. Lymphatic bend. Skin bend. Constitutional bend. Type 2 Decompression Sickness Symptoms. Neurological bend.
Inner ear bend. Arterial Gas Embolism. Dizziness Areas of reduced sensation Blurred vision Chest pain Confusion, disorientation. The symptoms of decompression sickness may appear rapidly.
For scuba divers, they may start within an hour after a dive. You or your companion may appear visibly ill. Look out for:.
These symptoms indicate a medical emergency. If you experience any of these, contact your local emergency medical services immediately.
They can assist with evacuation assistance and help you locate a recompression chamber nearby. In more mild cases, you may not notice symptoms until a few hours or even days after a dive. You should still seek medical care in those cases. If you move from an area of high pressure to low pressure, nitrogen gas bubbles can form in the blood or tissues.
The gas is then released into the body if the outside pressure is relieved too quickly. This can lead to obstructed blood flow and cause other pressure effects. Watch for symptoms of decompression sickness. These are a medical emergency, and you should seek emergency medical services immediately. You can also contact DAN, which operates an emergency phone line 24 hours a day.
They can assist with evacuation assistance and help you locate a hyperbaric chamber nearby. You should still seek medical care. In mild cases, treatment may include breathing percent oxygen from a mask. The treatment for more serious cases of DCS involves recompression therapy, which is also known as hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This unit may fit one person. Some hyperbaric chambers are larger and can fit several people at once.
If recompression therapy is started promptly after a diagnosis, you may not notice any effects of DCS afterward. For severe cases, there may also be long-term neurological effects. In this case, physical therapy may be required. Work with your doctor, and keep them informed about any lasting side effects. Residual brain damage may occur, making it more likely there will be residual symptoms after a future AGE — even after treating the later instance.
The most common manifestations of DCS are joint pain and numbness or tingling. The next most common are muscular weakness and inability to empty a full bladder. Severe DCS is easy to identify because the signs and symptoms are apparent.
However, most DCS manifests subtly with a minor joint ache or paresthesia an abnormal burning or tingling sensation in an extremity. Note: Signs and symptoms usually appear within 15 minutes or up to 12 hours after surfacing. In severe cases, symptoms may appear before surfacing or immediately afterward.
Delayed onset of symptoms is rare but can happen, especially if air travel follows diving. In many cases, these symptoms are ascribed to another cause such as overexertion, heavy lifting or even a tight wetsuit. Sometimes these symptoms remain mild and resolve by themselves, but they may increase in severity until it is obvious that something is wrong and help is needed. Recreational divers should dive conservatively, whether they are using dive tables or computers.
Experienced divers sometimes select a table depth rather than actual depth of 10 feet 3 meters deeper than called for by standard procedure.
This practice is recommended for all divers, especially when diving in cold water or under strenuous conditions. Divers should be cautious about approaching no-decompression limits, especially when diving deeper than feet 30 meters.
Avoiding the risk factors described above will decrease the risk of DCS. Flying or other exposure to altitude too soon after diving can also increase the risk of decompression sickness as explained in Flying After Diving. Always relax and breathe normally during ascent. Lung conditions such as asthma, infections, cysts, tumors, scar tissue from surgery, or obstructive lung disease may predispose a diver to AGE.
If you have any of these conditions, consult a physician with experience in diving medicine before you dive. The treatment for decompression illness is recompression. It is essential that a diver with AGE or severe DCS to be stabilized at the nearest medical facility before being transported to a chamber.
Early oxygen first aid is essential and may reduce symptoms, but this should not change the treatment plan. Always contact DAN or a physician trained in dive medicine in cases of suspected decompression illness — even if the signs and symptoms appear resolved. Delays in seeking treatment elevate the risk of residual symptoms. Over time the initially reversible damage may become permanent. After a delay of 24 hours or more, treatment may be less effective, and symptoms may not respond.
Even if there has been a delay, consult a diving medical specialist before making any conclusions about possible treatment effectiveness. There may be residual symptoms after treatment. Soreness in and around an affected joint is common and usually resolves in a few hours.
If the DCI was severe, there could be significant residual neurological dysfunction. Follow-up treatments, along with physical therapy, can help. The usual outcome is eventual complete relief from all symptoms with prompt treatment.
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.
However, this type of injury may decrease the likelihood of recovery from a subsequent bout of DCS. Untreated joint pain that subsides could cause small areas of bone damage osteonecrosis. If this happens through repeated instances of DCS, there may be enough damage to cause the bone to become brittle, or for joints to collapse or become arthritic.
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