a disease of divers resulting from the release of nitrogen into the blood on rapid ascent.
A condition that results from rapidly decreasing atmospheric pressure on the body. Symptoms include joint pain, chest pain, shortness of breath and coma. The condition may be fatal.
pain resulting from rapid change in pressure
Pain in the joints (and sometimes in the abdomen) due to nitrogen bubbles in the blood (nitrogen gas emboli). Usually caused by a rapid reduction in ambient pressure. Also called decompression sickness.
decompression sickness encountered with changes in pressure such as when scuba diving; (treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy)
An imprecise term denoting any form of Caisson disease or decompression sickness. It is sometimes a fatal disorder that is marked by neuralgic pains (severe pain along a nerve) and paralysis, and dyspnea (difficult breathing); that is caused by the release of gas bubbles in tissue upon too rapid decrease in pressure after a stay in a compressed environment.
see "decompression sickness"
a form of decompression sickness caused by dissolved nitrogen leaving the tissues too quickly on ascent; is manifested by pain, usually in the limbs and joints; "the bends" is sometimes used to signify any manifestation of decompression sickness.