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Can you get decompression sickness or the bends from breathing nitrogen?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
From Scuba diving? ... yes since that is what causes decompression sickness. But if your question is whether you can get DCI from just changing your gas at the surface from air (21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen) to a nitrogen enriched air (i.e. 15% oxygen and 85% nitrogen) without diving or ascending to altitude? ... then the answer would be no. The nitrogen increase is not enough to result in decompression sickness ... but you would would start feeling hypoxic from the lack of oxygen the more you lower the oxygen concentration.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 15y agoDecompression sickness, or 'the bends', comes from the fact that a gas is compressible. As you dive further and further the water pressure on your lungs increases. The pressure regulator on scuba gear very slowly ups the pressure as you increase your depth, keeping your lungs from collapsing. In the process the nitrogen gas in your lungs starts to permeate your body (very slowly and it does no damage.) If you change your depth from say 200m to 2 m in 60 seconds, but it took you 15 minutes to get down to 200m, then the nitrogen gas that was under pressure suddenly has a lot less pressure holding it in and tries to expand in your arteries and veins, bubbling up almost like a boiling pot. NOT A GOOD THING! The way to stop this from happening is to go slowly on the way up, stopping every so often to allow the gas to re pressurize and come out of your tissues.
You may also want to see the answer in the question "What does decompression mean in diving?"
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Why must nitrogen be used only with oxygen under pressure?
Nitrogen should be used with oxygen under pressure to prevent the development of decompression sickness. When breathing high-pressure oxygen for a period of time, the body accumulates excess nitrogen which can form bubbles in the blood when pressure is reduced. This can result in decompression sickness, also known as "the bends."
The bends are symptomatic of what?
The bends are also known as decompression sickness.
What gas is most directly responsible for the bends or decompression sickness that divers may experience?
Nitrogen gas is the most directly responsible for the bends, also known as decompression sickness, in divers. The bends occur when nitrogen that has been absorbed by tissues during a dive forms bubbles as the diver ascends too quickly, causing pain and potentially serious health effects.
What is another name for decompression sickness?
The Bends
Another term for decompression sickness?
The Bends.
What is the gas that causes decompression sickness?
Nitrogen is the gas that causes decompression sickness, also known as the bends. When a diver ascends too quickly, nitrogen bubbles can form in the bloodstream and tissues, leading to symptoms such as joint pain, weakness, and dizziness.
What is decompression sickness also called?
It is sometimes called the bends
What decompression sickness do scuba divers suffer from?
It is called "The Bends"
What is it called when you resurface to fast scuba diving?
Its called'The bends'
How do you die from the bends?
"The bends" is a slang term for Decompression Sickness. When breathing compressed air at high pressures for extended times, nitrogen gas is forced into the blood. When the pressure is released, the dissolved gas appears as bubbles (like the carbon dioxide bubbles in a soda). The bubble accumulate at joints, causing severe pain, making you curl up (bend) In severe cases, the bubbles can damage the brain, causing a stroke- and death.
What is causes the bends?
The bends, or decompression sickness, is caused by the formation of nitrogen bubbles in the bloodstream and tissues when a diver ascends too quickly from a deep dive. These bubbles can lead to a variety of symptoms, including joint pain, fatigue, and in severe cases, paralysis or death. Proper decompression stops and ascent rates can help prevent the bends.
What is the most pressure a diver can experience before getting the bends or decompression sickness?
The deepest depth that can be dived to (on air) and saturate and then surface without getting decompression sickness in general is about 20 feet (6 meters). This is known as the Minimum Bends Depth. Any depth greater than this depth can result in decompression sickness depending on the time underwater.
