decompression sickness
1
7.4
- noun
- /ˌdiːkəmˈprɛʃən ˈsɪk.nəs/
- Specialized
:
enfermedad por descompresión
- Divers must ascend slowly to avoid risking decompression sickness after spending time at great depths.
- risk of decompression sickness
Examples
-
Watch for signs of decompression sickness.
-
Could be some kind of decompression sickness.
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We'll take turns diving in 10-minute intervals to avoid decompression sickness.
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Depending on how deep that wreck is, Ethan will have severe decompression sickness before he reaches the surface.
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Regarding decompression sickness, the "no decompression limits" should be strictly adhered to.
Academic text (1994) -
"He's got decompression sickness."
Fiction book (1999) -
Despite a critical case of decompression sickness, Howard Hall made 285 dives and spent more than 400 hours underwater in his quest to understand the nature of the reefs.
Academic text (2003) -
An accelerated ascent rate faster than 18.3 m/minute (60 feet/minute) following a long or deep dive could result in decompression sickness.
Academic text (1991) -
A rapid ascent can lead to decompression sickness as gas bubbles form in the bloodstream.
-
Symptoms of decompression sickness include joint pain and dizziness, usually occurring after diving.
Synonyms
1
9.8
A painful condition divers get when nitrogen forms bubbles in the body after a fast ascent
1
8.3
A sickness from a quick drop in air pressure that causes joint pain, dizziness, and tiredness
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositionally transparent: 'decompression' (reduction of pressure) combined with 'sickness' (illness) straightforwardly denotes illness caused by decompression. Although 'decompression' is somewhat technical, a learner who knows both constituents can directly infer the medical meaning, and many languages use a similar construction.
Etymology
Decompression sickness comes from a simple physical image: decompression is a fast fall in pressure and sickness is feeling ill. Imagine a diver coming up too fast and tiny gas bubbles forming inside the body like a shaken soda; this causes pain, so the term means 'illness caused by a rapid drop in pressure'.