What is the most prominent symptom of decompression sickness?

• A. Difficulty with vision.
• B. Abdominal or joint pain.
• C. Dizziness and nausea.
• D. Tightness in the chest.

Answer: (B)

Decompression sickness happens when nitrogen bubbles form in tissues after ascending too quickly. Those bubbles most often lodge in joints and soft tissues, causing sharp, localized pain—the classic symptom known as “the bends.” That makes abdominal or joint pain the best choice here, since joint pain is the most characteristic and frequently prominent feature, and abdominal pain can also occur when bubbles affect the abdomen. Dizziness and nausea can occur but are less specific and not as consistently prominent, and tightness in the chest points more to pulmonary involvement, which isn’t the most typical presentation. So the abdominal or joint pain reflects the most noticeable and common manifestation of the condition.