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What are the bends?

In: Scuba [Edit categories]

Answer:

The bends is a slang term for decompression sickness. If you have been diving at considerable depth, you have been breathing air at higher than normal pressure (to balance the water pressure) and an abnormal amount of nitrogen gets dissolved in the blood as a result. You have to decompress slowly so that the excess nitrogen can leave the blood without forming bubbles. Bubbles in the blood will make you very sick or even kill you. A decompression chamber can be used, if you don't just rise very slowly through the water.

First answer by David6023. Last edit by David6023. Contributor trust: 511 [recommend contributor ]. Question popularity: 2 [recommend question].

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Relevant answers:

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