A dangerous and potentially lethal condition of divers precipitated by rapid changes in ambient atmospheric pressure, mostly in rapid ascent from underwater, but can also result from flying in an aircraft too soon after a dive. It occurs because at high pressures (such as SCUBA divers experience while underwater) the blood can contain more dissolved nitrogen than at lower pressures. When the diver ascends too rapidly, the blood can no longer contain this dissolved nitrogen and tiny gas bubbles begin to form in the blood. Symptoms include: body pain (mainly in the joints), headache, confusion, itchy skin rash, visual disturbances, weakness or paralysis, dizziness, or vertigo. Treatment involves the administration of oxygen and placing the patient into a decompression chamber until the nitrogen bubbles shrink and safely diffuse from the tissues.