Decompression sickness or "the bends" is also known as Caisson disease. The nitrogen bubbles that form and group who cause the bends can be expelled through normal circulation and breathing. But this takes time - which is why divers will come up in periods. The U.S. Navy provides a decompression table that is a super reference to base periods on for an amateur diver. The pros probably roll their own because of longer periods of submersion and greater depths coupled with many other important factors. If you are actually worried about getting the bends consult a professional to personalize an ascension chart for you. Nitrogen slowly works its way out of blood and tissue, so take caution when going on multiple dives. In case you think that you have the bends:
Symptoms
The bends most common symptom is pain in the limb joints. From what I have read tank divers more commonly experience the bends in their legs. If you feel numbness you are pretty much in deep shit (i think that might be a bad pun). The spine is very vulnerable to the bends. It can cause paralysis sometimes inevitably or if not treated promptly. Take into consideration while the spine is vulnerable so are other areas... your lungs, your heart, pretty much anything with fluid or tissue. Yes, the bends suck. But maybe my fascination with it comes from me not being able to submerge myself fully under water because of ear problems. Which leads me to this. If I had to be injured seriously I would want to get the bends. I cannot fully imagine the excitment and amazing sensory overload with the noise, feelings and sights that would be involved with a quick ascension from a great depth. Weird.