Decompression sickness can affect almost any part of the body, so its symptoms depend on the afflicted area. Typical symptoms include:

• Skin rash
• Joint pain
• Numbness
• Extreme fatigue
• Breathing difficulty or coughing
• Paralysis
• Unconsciousness

Symptoms may take as long as a day to become noticeable, and may be subtle at first. Without treatment, the symptoms will persist and become more serious. Even if the symptoms appear mild, it's important to get proper treatment because even the mildest case is a serious condition. Fortunately, most divers will completely recover after treatment with no long-term side effects.