Recognizing DCS

[The Chairman]

Again... the term used for these muscle pains is "chronic". It is a pain that is not aggravated or alleviated by normal range of motion. If the joint hurts due to bubbles, there will be positions that really hurt and those that don't.

But that is only ONE manifestation of DCS. Numbness (like something is "asleep"), a rash, feeling overly drowsy, intense irritability, and in severe cases paralysis and symptoms of stroke can all be attributed to DCS.

But all these symptoms can be attributed to OTHER diseases as well. There is no magical flag that says THIS is some nerve impingement and THIS is DCS. This is why it’s best to get someone else to evaluate you. You are too close to the situation to make the call. Call DAN. They will systematically run you through a Q&A that will give them (and you) a better idea of what protocol to pursue.

 

[DandyDon]

Gotcha'! For the record, I used the test on someone once who said he was fine, but I wondered about his fast ascent. Everything on the test cleared, and he still insisted he was fine, b ut he'd let me know if anything came up. Decided I worry too much, again.

I've called DAN a few times. Again, I was worrying too much.

Once, I had a guy in Cozumel ask for Oxygen. That atutomatically activated EMS, and he did 2 chamber rides whether he needed it or not.

 

[android]

...intense irritability, ...

My wife might claim I have DCS all the time!

 

[android]

If the joint hurts due to bubbles, there will be positions that really hurt and those that don't.

Ahh, That's what I was looking for!
Thanks,
Andy

 

[Frank O]

If you are in condition for diving, there should be no pain or other "symptoms" the following day.

When I'm getting in a dive every week or so, bicycling 5-6 days a week and doing regular weight/stretching work that's close to true, but if I go diving after a layoff (as I did this week) I'm no stranger to aches and pains.

So what to do? When I was getting active in scuba again after a couple of years primarily freediving, I started out with very conservative dive profiles and mentally cataloged the typical aches/pains from slinging tanks, hiking down/up bluffs, etc. I'd like to think this puts me in a better situation now to distinguish "typical" aches and pains from potential DCS.

Regarding the neurological field test, I've heard it said that it's a good idea to run these and similar tests on yourself to establish a baseline. I have screwed-up nerves in one leg from a preexisting (non-diving-related) condition, and I tend to do poorly on balance tests -- although it improves if I do balancing exercises and work with a wobble board on a regular basis. If I went to a chamber I suspect this would be viewed as a potential sign of DCS if the doctor didn't know about the preexisting condition.

 

[mccabejc]

Okay, let me ask it this way: Are there any characteristics of DCS-induced aches and pains that might distinguish them from other routine pains, such as those resulting from pulling a muscle because of stretching the wrong way while lugging your equipment, for example?

Routine pains usually improve over time. Do DCS pains get worse over time? Do they hang around indefinitely?

Routine pains often don't appear until the next day after rigorous exercise, when you try to get out of bed. Or they happen immediately when you twist or bend the wrong way. Do DCS pains usually show up soon after the dive?

Routine pains, like when you pull a muscle, can be very sharp, and can flare up when you bend a certain way. Are DCS pains usually dull and consistent, or do they flare up in the same way?

Do DCS pains return and/or get worse after subsequent dives?

 

[The Chairman]

Hey Jim,

Again, I am not a medical doctor, but let me try here.

Sore muscles are caused by a buildup of acid in the muscle tissue. This is normal by product of the muscle being used and is flushed out when the capillaries are enlarged by an increased blood flow. Unfortunately, as we stop work, our capillaries close down to normal BEFORE we get all of the acid out and it starts to inflame the area.

Work out again, and the flow of blood helps get rid of some of that soreness, though the inflammation may persist somewhat. These aches are not usually “angle specific”, though there are some that probably could be.

On the other hand an injury is usually sustained and you notice it right away… not always, and it could very well be “angle specific”. “Doctor it hurts whenever I do this… OUCH!” “Well by all means, DON’T do that again!” However these should be aches that we anticipate.

DCS comes from nowhere. Unlike sore muscles, joint DCS is often “angle specific”. That’s where the term “The Bends” came from. Unlike an injury, we do not anticipate the location, the intensity or the “feel” of it.

But remember, while rare DCS is multi-faceted. It has many faces, and if ANY symptom bothers you at all, please call DAN.