Preventing the ‘bends’

Paying attention to proper diving protocols can and has been making the difference for trained and certified divers as against those who are expert divers but have had no formal training, according to information provided by the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory, which is under the direction of the Centre for Marine Sciences at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus.

Decompression Sickness (DCS) or the ‘bends’ as the condition is commonly referred to, can be prevented or the risk reduced by safe diving practices and is rarely seen in trained and certified recreational or commercial divers, about 10-15 per cent, compared with more than 80 per cent of those with limited or no formal training.

Members of the latter group put themselves at risk, by diving well outside industry standards and recommended safety limits, which is reflected in the 80 per cent of the reported DCS cases. These unsafe practices are inclusive of but not limited to the direct use of compressors (hookah), doing multiple successive dives, spending too long at depths and surfacing took quickly.

“Consequently, the victim may start experiencing a range of symptoms immediately or up to 40 hours after surfacing, starting from extreme tiredness, tingling and numbness, nausea, sudden vision and hearing loss, to loss of consciousness, paralysis or even death,” according to a release from the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory.

With these in mind, it has sent out some basic tips which scuba/hookah divers should follow during and after their dives, to avoid or minimise the risk of experiencing decompression sickness.

Outreach officer for the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory, Delroy Thorney, explained that though treatment in a hyperbaric chamber may relieve much of the patient’s discomfort and greatly increase their chances of survival, depending on the severity of their symptoms, treatment in the chamber does not always result in full recovery.

“Therefore, it is highly recommended that divers stay well within their limits and dive conservatively. For suspected cases of decompression sickness (DCS) if you experience abnormal feelings after a dive, do not go back into the water to decompress. Instead, the diver should go immediately to the nearest hospital, breathe high-flow oxygen and contact the UWI, Discovery Bay Marine Lab’s hyperbaric treatment facility.

Contact information:

1-876-438-6292 or email dbml@uwimona.edu.jm or camilo.trench@uwimona.edu.jm

Pre-dive precautions and plans:

• Ensure you are physically and mentally fit to dive. Make sure you are well rested and hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Also drink water between dives

• Avoid drinking alcohol at least eight hours before diving

• Do not dive with a cold or congestion

• Plan to dive conservatively and stick to the plan. For example, a dive to 100 ft should be longer than 20 minutes

• Accessories such as depth and pressure gauges, watches and diver computers are essential and a combination of these should always be carried on every diver to determine time and depth limit.

• Do not use a compressor (hookah) to dive. The use of air compressors is illegal and only permitted for industrial-based commercial activities. This unlimited air supply means more nitrogen loading into one’s body.

Precautions during the dive:

• Monitor/check your depth and pressure gauges and time

• Never make a repetitive dive that is deeper than your previous dive. Always do the deepest dive first

• Never hold your breath while ascending. If you need to surface quickly, exhale on your way up.

• Perhaps regarded as the one of the most important rules of scuba diving, is to ascend slowly. Maintain a rate no faster than 30 ft per minute. A rule of thumb, if you are without a dive computer or watch, is to ascend no faster than your last or smallest exhaled bubble.

• Always carry out a ‘safety stop’ by spending 3-5 minutes from the surface during descent.

After the dive:

• Do not fly immediately after diving. The recommended timing is 12 hours of a single dive or 18 hours after repetitive dives or multiple days of diving, waiting 24 hours before flying is ideal.

• Avoid heavy lifting, strenuous activity and alcohol/substance abuse

• Following three consecutive days of diving, take a day of rest.