Why decompression chambers

This pain is often referred to as "the bends. People with DCS may also have headaches, dizziness, extreme fatigue, ringing in the ears, visual problems, chest pain and shortness of breath, a skin rash and itching, and malaise. Warning signs can also include numbness, paralysis, staggering, coughing up blood, and collapse. In rare cases, people with DCS can go into shock and die if not treated.

Divers using compressed air are at particular risk for decompression sickness, especially if they come to the surface too quickly. Those who are older, heavier, or less physically active run a higher risk. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the primary treatment for DCS. It immediately reduces the amount of bubbles in the bloodstream, fills the tissues with oxygen, and reduces dangerous swelling. In most instances, it's critical to get treatment as soon as possible, because the symptoms of DCS can be life-threatening.

Even if your symptoms disappear when you return to a normal altitude, you should still seek medical attention and possibly receive the therapy to prevent long-term damage.

Typically, the hyperbaric therapy treatments for CO poisoning or DCS last for a few hours and may need to be repeated. The treatments are generally free of side effects, but side effects do sometimes occur. For example, some people's ears pop or they have mild discomfort in the chamber. These can be eased as the pressure is lowered. In recent years, the number of hyperbaric chambers in the Caribbean has boomed. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos all offer recompression treatment.

Check that the associated clinic is open 24 hours though, because symptoms can develop hours after your dive, or after a night dive. When it comes to DCS and hyperbaric medicine, making a plan before your fins hit the water is the best way to take the, ahem, pressure off.

Skip to main content. Follow us email facebook twitter instagram youTube pinterest rss. The view from the inside of a hyperbaric chamber. The hyperbaric chamber facility in Roatan where the author helped treat patients. What Does It Feel Like? Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Does a Body Good While those in the dive world have long used hyperbaric treatment to counteract DCS, myriad new health benefits for other injuries and illnesses have been discovered, such as: Carbon monoxide poisoning Cyanide poisoning Crush injuries Inadequate blood flow in the arteries Compromised skin grafts and flaps Bone Infection Flesh-eating disease Air or gas embolism Diabetic wounds.

A doctor monitors a patient inside a hyperbaric chamber. Show references Bennett MH, et al. Emerging indications for hyperbaric oxygen. Current Opinions in Anesthesiology. Mechem CC, et al. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Accessed Sept. Moghadam N, et al. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in sports musculoskeletal injuries. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: Don't be misled. Food and Drug Administration. Office of Patient Education. Mayo Clinic; Accredited facilities.

Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. Shields RC expert opinion. Mayo Clinic. Melnyczenko AR expert opinion. Dealing with boredom is a serious consideration. While a diver might have just two or three sessions, other patients may be in for two hours a day, five days a week, for up to eight weeks.

The centre also has two smaller 3m 10ft by 1. Its smallest chamber resembles a 2m 6ft 6in long transparent plastic tube which is about 1m 3ft 3in in diameter. Unlike the other chambers, this is filled completely with oxygen, allowing treatment for anyone who cannot use the helmets because of wounds or other considerations. The centre also has wound treatment rooms with specialist staff, as well as facilities for training in hyperbaric medicine.

As to divers who have been treated at the centre for what can be a fatal condition, Dr Cridge said: "It rarely puts them off. Carbon monoxide house inspected. Poisoned family 'extremely lucky'.