a serious medical condition that divers (= people who swim underwater) get when they come up to the surface of the water too quickly

On the way up, divers stop at various depths in order to prevent the bends.

Many of the men who dive here for a living suffer from the bends.

I had worked as a diver for over a decade before I got the bends.

The bends affect the nerve endings very badly.

The bends, caused by decompressing too fast, can be fatal.

See also: bend noun (ILLNESS)