Decompression Illness

Decompression Illness

My article is on "The Physiology of Decompression Illness." Since the 1800's

many scientists knew that high pressure can injure or kill. But only recently they

are learning why.

The purpose of studying decompression illness is to make diving safer.

Decompression illness is a condition caused by forming nitrogen bubbles in the

blood as a result of a spontaneous descent. When gas prevents expanding within

the lungs from escaping. is called arterial bas embolism. If a diver panicks during

descent and holds his/her breath this usually occur. Or even if there is a blockage

in a branch of the bronchial tree. In learning to figure out what causes

decompression illness and how to reduce the danger in descent. This means that

more deep-sea divers and

free-swimming divers will be at less jeopardy to have

nuerological problems and other side effects. But not only divers are at at

risk, but also pilots and astronauts who experience drops of pressure.

Scientists have done a variety of testing on divers and pilots concerning

decompression illness. Scientists have researched back to the 1800's when

decompression illness was most common. Many laborers who constructed tunnels

and bridges had symptons of numbness, paralysis, loss of bladder and ocassionly

death. These laborers had to work in caissons, these are pressurized chambers that

had compreesed air which was to prevent flooding. Well this new invention was

the cause of decompression illness. It was unknown until this machine was made.

When the workers left the compressed air chambers and walked back out into

decompressed air they experienced pains and the symptons mentioned

above.

When technology began to allow divers to journey to forty meters, many divers

began to have a newly discovered problem: narcosis. In the early 1900's the navy

began new mixtures suach as replacing nitrtogen , which is less intoxication. This

new method was very successful, but when divers began to reach levels of 1150

meters many began to experience high-pressure nervous syndrome, or HPNS.

Dizziness, vomitting, tremoring, stomach cramps, poor sleep with nightmares, and

a period in which divers only remain conscious while their mind is induced. Once

past 150 meters the divers' symtons would be much worse.

Scientists began to study the results of HPNS and concluded that at high-

pressures nitrogen emit their

narcotic effects. In the late 1970's Peter Bennett, a

scientist, used a mixture composed of helium, oxygen and a 5-10% addition of

nitrogen for the first time. Divers were placed in a in chambers of compressed air

equal to those of depths of 460-686 meters.in Duke Uiversity Medical Center. But

still HPNS was the result and in the chamber the density made it harder for the

divers to breathe.

New mixtures of a french diving company, Comex, replaced nitrgen with

hydrogen. Psychosis began to occur at pressures