Decompression (altitude)

Decompression (altitude) refers to the reduction in ambient pressure due to ascent above sea level. Decompression has physical effects on gas filled spaces and on liquids, particularly when they contain dissolved gases. Physiological effects of decompression are due to these physical effects and the consequential effects on the living tissues, mostly as a result of the formation and growth of bubbles, and the expansion of gas filled spaces. Formation and growth of bubbles due to reduced pressure can be due to reduction in solubility as described by Henry's Law, nucleation and growth of bubbles in supersaturated liquids and boiling of liquids when the pressure is reduced below the vapour pressure for the temperature of the liquid.