Which condition is related to diving and decompression?

Which condition is related to diving and decompression?

• A. Scuba-related Illness (The Bends)
• B. Heat Exhaustion
• C. Heart Attack
• D. Stroke

Answer: (A)

Decompression sickness arises when a diver ascends and dissolved nitrogen in tissues and blood forms bubbles due to the rapid change in pressure. This pressure-related gas issue is specific to diving, which is why it’s commonly called the bends or a scuba-related illness. Bubbles in tissues or the bloodstream can cause joint pain, fatigue, dizziness, numbness, chest pain, or confusion. Immediate treatment is 100% oxygen and rapid recompression in a hyperbaric chamber to shrink the bubbles and restore tissue oxygenation. The other conditions—heat exhaustion, heart attack, and stroke—are not caused by pressure changes from diving, so they aren’t the diving-related decompression issue.

Decompression sickness arises when a diver ascends and dissolved nitrogen in tissues and blood forms bubbles due to the rapid change in pressure. This pressure-related gas issue is specific to diving, which is why it’s commonly called the bends or a scuba-related illness. Bubbles in tissues or the bloodstream can cause joint pain, fatigue, dizziness, numbness, chest pain, or confusion. Immediate treatment is 100% oxygen and rapid recompression in a hyperbaric chamber to shrink the bubbles and restore tissue oxygenation. The other conditions—heat exhaustion, heart attack, and stroke—are not caused by pressure changes from diving, so they aren’t the diving-related decompression issue.