What are the bends experienced by sea divers?
The medical term is “Decompression sickness”, “the bends” are an old term. Although it’s associated with diving, that’s not the only way it can develop. Anyway, it is the result of gas bubbles forming in the blood stream when the divers return to the surface. Think of your basic can of Coke. It is filled and sealed under pressure, which keeps all the carbon dioxide bubbles trapped in the liquid soda. When you pop the top, the pressure is reduced and the bubbles can more easily form and surface. Underwater, a diver is also under pressure- water pressure forces the blood to accept more gas that it usually would. If the diver returns to the surface slowly, those bubbles will form more slowly and be easily disappated. If he rises too quickly though, the bubbles form in the blood stream quickly and large in size. They then get caught in spots, usually the joints- although they can form embolisms in the lungs and heart. The bubble caught in a joint will cause extreme pain, causing the diver
