In our previous post we stressed on one of the biggest risks of Scuba diving- Decompression Sickness (DCS) and the importance of every diver knowing all there is to ‘the Bends’ as it is also known. We covered What is Decompression Sickness in detail and What are the causes of DCS when scuba diving. If you missed it you can read it here- Decompression Sickness: All About Scuba Diving & The Bends (Part-1).
Signs and Symptoms of Decompression Sickness
The symptoms of DCS normally appear anywhere from 15 minutes to 12 hours after diving. The symptoms may differ depending on the severity and where the bubble start forming. Mostly DCS can be classified medically into 4 types -
The Bends: In this type of Decompression Sickness bubbles form within the joints. 70% of all cases of DCS are reported to be of this type called DCS I. Symptoms include-
- A localized “deep” pain, tingle or dull ache within the limbs or joints of the body such as elbows, shoulders, hip, wrists, knees or ankles.
- Movement of the limb or joint can aggravate the pain
- The pain may be reduced by bending the limb to a specific position
Skin Bends: In 10-15% of DCS cases bubbles form within the body’s upper tissue. Symptoms may be-
- Itchiness around the ears, face, neck, arms or upper torso
- A tingling sensation that can be described as insects crawling on the skin
- Mottled or marbled skin around shoulders, upper chest, abdomen with itching
- Swelling of the skin, accompanied by tiny scar-like skin depressions.
Neurological DCS: When bubbles form within the brain, spinal cord or nervous system it’s classified as DCS II. It accounts for approximately 10-15% of all cases of DCS.
- Headache
- Visual disturbances, spots in field of vision, double vision tunnel vision or blurry vision
- Confusion
- Memory loss/Amnesia
- Unexplainable extreme fatigue or behaviour change
- Seizures, dizziness, vertigo or nausea
- Vomiting
- Unconsciousness
- Abnormal sensations such as burning, tingling, stinging around lower chest / back
- Symptoms may work from feet up, bringing weakness in limbs / fatigue
- Abdominal / Chest pain
- Urinary or fecal incontinence
- General muscle weakness and twitching
The Chokes: Less than 2% of DCS cases come under this category. It is when bubbles form within the lungs causing sudden low blood pressure, slowing down of breathing and possibly shock. The symptoms are-
- Burning deep chest pain under the sternum
- Pain is aggravated by breathing
- Shortness of breath
- Dry constant cough
First Aid and Treatment for Decompression Sickness
Treating decompression sickness quickly is very important. Diver’s Alert Network’s recommended first aid for DCS is:
- Request emergency medical attention
- Administer 100% oxygen to a breathing patient
- A breathing patient should lie down on their left side, a non-breathing patient should be laid on their back for CPR
- Transfer the patient to a recompression facility for medical attention
- The patients airway and circulation should be monitored until EMS arrives
Prevention and Avoiding Decompression Sickness
There are no dive tables or dive computers that can guarantee 100% a diver will not get DCS. But if a diver learns how to calculate dive time properly, stays within safe depth limits and ascends slowly from every dive while taking recommended decompression stops, they can lessen their chance of getting bent.
When planning multiple dives in a day, do your deepest dives first and then shallower dives. Always carry out a 5 minute safety stop, even on a no decompression dives to be on the safer side. Avoid flying 24 hours before or after diving.
ALWAYS plan your dive and dive your plan! Dive safe!
*Photo Credits: photos by utnapistim, Anglesey Divers, Boogies with Fish on flickr
{ 1 trackback }