ELi5: What causes decompression sickness, and is there such a thing as compression sickness?
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As depth increases then the absorbtion of a gas in liquid increases, depending on depth & time, decrease depth too fast and that gas will come out of solution and form bubbles. These bubbles, depending on where in the bloodstream they are can cause serious problems especially if in the brain or spinal chord.
Yes, there is such a thing as compression sickness. In very deep diving, divers breath a mixture of Helium & Oxygen and will be compressed in a surface chamber initially. If the compression rate is too fast it has a very bad effect on the bodies nervous system this is called HPNS and can lead to permanent disability. A company working in Australia has very recently been convicted of allowing this to happen during a deep diving operation [DOF Subsea](https://www.nopsema.gov.au/blogs/dof-subsea-australia-pty-ltd-convictions)
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