Dive Deep into Success: Ace the 2025 Certified Hyperbaric Technologist Exam!

Bubble formation while breathing air is primarily associated with a reduction in barometric pressure. When an individual is breathing compressed air in a hyperbaric environment and then experiences a rapid ascent or a decrease in ambient pressure, the dissolved gases in the body's tissues can come out of solution and form bubbles. This is similar to how opening a carbonated beverage creates bubbles as the pressure is released.

In a hyperbaric environment, nitrogen from the air we breathe dissolves into the body's tissues in a state of higher pressure. If the pressure drops too quickly, nitrogen comes out of solution faster than the body can safely eliminate it, leading to bubble formation, which can result in decompression sickness, commonly referred to as "the bends."

Understanding this process highlights the importance of controlled decompression protocols after exposure to hyperbaric conditions, to allow nitrogen to safely escape the tissues without forming harmful bubbles.