Decompression sickness, also called the Bends, occurs when your body experiences a rapid decrease in the pressure of water or air. It most commonly occurs in scuba or deep sea diving. As you lower into the ocean while diving with compressed air, you experience higher water pressure, which causes you to take in more oxygen and nitrogen. Your body can use the oxygen, but the nitrogen is sent into your blood stream, where it stays until the end of your diving trip.