decompression sickness
C1/C2Technical/Medical
Definition
Meaning
A dangerous medical condition caused by dissolved gases (mainly nitrogen) forming bubbles in the body's tissues and bloodstream when ambient pressure decreases too rapidly, typically after deep diving or leaving a high-pressure environment.
The condition is also known as 'the bends' or Caisson disease. It commonly affects divers, aviators, and construction workers in pressurized environments. Symptoms range from joint pain and rashes to paralysis and death if severe.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Refers specifically to the pathological state resulting from a rapid reduction in surrounding pressure. The term 'decompression' is crucial—it is not a general sickness but one caused by the decompression process itself.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Both use 'decompression sickness' as the formal term and 'the bends' informally.
Connotations
Identical connotations of a serious, diving/aviation-related medical emergency.
Frequency
Equally common in technical contexts in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
suffer from ~be diagnosed with ~develop ~prevent ~treat ~cause ~Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “get/have the bends”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used, except in insurance or health & safety documentation for diving or high-altitude industries.
Academic
Used in medical, physiological, and marine biology papers discussing barotrauma and diving medicine.
Everyday
Used when discussing diving accidents, extreme sports, or historical construction (e.g., building bridges).
Technical
The primary context. Used in diving manuals, aviation medicine, hyperbaric chamber operation, and emergency medical protocols.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He was decompressed too quickly and sickened.
- The diver began to decompress according to the tables.
American English
- The pilot decompressed the cabin gradually.
- They had to decompress in a chamber for hours.
adverb
British English
- The diver ascended decompressively, pausing at safety stops.
- The chamber was operating decompressively.
American English
- He ascended too rapidly, not decompressively as trained.
- The system functioned decompressively.
adjective
British English
- A decompression-related incident was reported.
- He had classic decompression sickness symptoms.
American English
- The decompression schedule was critical.
- She underwent decompression therapy.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Divers can get sick if they come up too fast. This sickness is called decompression sickness.
- After his deep dive, he felt pain in his joints, a symptom of decompression sickness, so he went to the hospital.
- To mitigate the risk of decompression sickness, professional divers adhere strictly to ascent rate tables and mandatory safety stops.
- The pathophysiology of decompression sickness involves the supersaturation of tissues with inert gases and the subsequent formation of bubbles upon inadequate decompression.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a fizzy drink bottle: when you open it quickly (decompress it), bubbles form suddenly. In the body, rapid 'decompression' causes similar bubbling 'sickness'.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE BODY IS A PRESSURE VESSEL / RAPID RELEASE OF PRESSURE IS DANGEROUS.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid literal translation 'болезнь декомпрессии'. The standard equivalent is 'кессонная болезнь' or 'декомпрессионная болезнь'. The informal term 'the bends' is often translated as 'кессонка' among divers.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'decompression sickness' to refer to any sickness after diving (e.g., sea sickness).
- Misspelling as 'decompresion sickness' or 'decompression sickeness'.
- Confusing it with nitrogen narcosis ('rapture of the deep'), which occurs during the dive, not after.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary cause of decompression sickness?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, 'the bends' is the common colloquial term for decompression sickness.
Yes, it is possible for aviators or passengers in unpressurized aircraft at high altitude, or divers who fly too soon after a dive.
The primary treatment is emergency administration of 100% oxygen and rapid transport to a hyperbaric (recompression) chamber for specialized treatment.
By following established dive tables or computer algorithms that control ascent rate, include mandatory decompression stops, and respect surface intervals between dives.