Final answer:
Decompression sickness, also known as 'The Bends' or decompression illness, occurs when divers ascend too rapidly, causing gases to form bubbles in their blood and tissues. Slow ascension and decompression stops can prevent it, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a common treatment.
Step-by-step explanation:
“The Bends” is also known as a) Decompression illness. Decompression sickness (DCS), or “the bends,” is a condition caused by the formation of gas bubbles in the bloodstream or body tissues as a result of a rapid decrease in pressure. Scuba divers are particularly at risk if they ascend too quickly from deep water, where they are subjected to high pressures that increase the amount of gas dissolved in their tissues according to Henry's law. Symptoms can range from joint pain and rashes to paralysis and potentially death. To prevent decompression sickness, divers must ascend slowly or make decompression stops to allow the excess gas to escape from their tissues gradually.
To treat DCS, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is often employed in special pressurized vessels known as decompression (or recompression) chambers. Research into this area is ongoing, including efforts to develop biomarker tests for better management of DCS.