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When we, for example, scuba dive, we will breathe air at higher pressure, hence the amount of dissolved gas in our blood will be higher (Henry's law) (right?). Now when we come back to normal pressure, the air pressure will be lower, and as a result, the amount of dissolved gas in the blood will decrease and will force some gas to exit the tissues. Now, why does the rate at which we come back from the water affect whether bubbles will remain in the blood or not? How does putting a person with stuck air bubbles in their blood into a high pressure chamber help remove the bubbles? Because I mean the person is going to have to come back to the normal (lower) air pressure.

Diagrams (picturing how the gas molecules enter and exit between tissues and the blood) could perhaps serve some help! Many thanks in advance!

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The problem lies in the question: "why does the rate at which we come back from the water affect whether bubbles will remain in the blood or not?" "Remain". With this, we are assuming that bubbles have formed but that is not always the case. If we come back to lower pressure more slowly, bubbles will not form because the gas molecules from the tissues will exit gradually and not a lot all of a sudden. These are micro bubbles which can reach your lungs without blocking any blood vessel and exit your blood through the alveoli. If we come to lower pressure very fast, so much of the gas molecules will exit the tissues at the same time (due to the large pressure gradient) which may coalesce forming a big bubble and block blood vessels. Therefore, this is about whether a BIG bubble forms or not. I hope this helps! Big thanks to "Easy Dive Theory" Youtube Channel on "Decompression Sickness".

Drita Raci
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