For treatment of decompression sickness, Naval Base Guam is the place to go

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NAVAL BASE GUAM — Guam is a scuba diver’s paradise. Thousands flock here each year for a glimpse of the small Pacific island’s spectacular coral reefs, sea creatures and shipwrecks from both world wars.

But for those who dive too deeply or ascend too quickly, the fun can suddenly end with decompression sickness, and there’s only one place to go in the area for treatment: Naval Base Guam.

Commonly called “the bends,” the painful condition results from nitrogen suddenly converting into a gas and entering the blood stream when a diver surfaces too quickly. Left untreated, it can cause permanent tissue damage, paralysis and death.