bends
Noun 1. Decompression sickness: A painful and potentially dangerous medical condition caused by the formation of nitrogen bubbles in the blood and tissues following a rapid decrease in the surrounding pressure. This typically affects divers, aviators, and caisson workers. * Synonymous terms: decompression sickness, caisson disease, the bends.
The term "bends" is almost exclusively used as a plural noun in this medical context. It is often preceded by the definite article "the." * Example: The diver had to make a safety stop to avoid getting the bends. * Example: Symptoms of the bends can include joint pain and dizziness.
- "To get/have the bends": To suffer from decompression sickness.
- Example: If you ascend too quickly, you risk getting the bends.
- "Bend" as a singular noun is not used for this condition. The singular form "bend" has entirely different meanings (e.g., to curve, a type of knot).
- Decompression sickness (n): The formal medical term for the condition.
- Caisson disease (n): An older term for the same condition, originating from its occurrence in workers building underwater foundations (caissons).
- Decompress (v): To undergo a controlled reduction in pressure, or to relax.
- Hyperbaric (adj): Relating to high pressure, as in a hyperbaric chamber used to treat the bends.
- Decompression sickness
- Caisson disease
- DCS (abbreviation for Decompression Sickness)
The word "bends" is also the third-person singular present tense of the verb "to bend" (e.g., He bends the wire). However, as a standalone noun entry, its primary definition is the medical condition described above. The plural noun "bends" can also refer to curves in a road or river (e.g., the winding bends of the coast road), but this usage is less specific than the medical term.
- pain resulting from rapid change in pressure