Scuba diving offers you the chance to experience the serene beauty of the underwater world, but if divers ascend to the surface too quickly they can suffer a potentially serious condition known as "the bends."

Diving instructor Nelson Riollano can't say enough about the hobby he loves but he also warns that you need proper training to participate. When divers ascend to the surface and move from a high-pressure environment to a low pressure one, bubbles can form in their bloodstream. "The bubbles expand, they get trapped in the wrong places and that's where the divers run into trouble."

Dr. John Bishop explains that this bubble trouble is known as decompression sickness or "the bends." Because the nitrogen bubbles can form in different parts of the body you could experience severe pain in your joints, dizziness, blindness, paralysis, and have convulsions. "You get your symptoms wherever the bubbles form"

Dr. Bishop says that part of every diver's dive plan should be knowing where to go for treatment if a problem occurs, because the sooner you receive treatment for decompression sickness, the better your chances for a full recovery. "We put them back under pressure simulating the dive causing the bubbles to collapse, go into solution then they breath oxygen and we slowly let the pressure off so that the nitrogen won't bubble anymore."

Nelson says "following dive tables and following recommended assent rates are probably the number one thing that will help you prevent those illnesses."

Divers should be sure to get certified by a recognized diving school, and you should go back for refresher courses to keep your skills up to date.

Symptoms of the bends usually appear within 15 minutes to 12 hours after surfacing; but in severe cases, symptoms may appear even before surfacing. Initial treatment with the hyperbaric chamber for divers can vary in length from 5 to 12 hours.