Which of the following is a common symptom of decompression sickness?

The common symptom of decompression sickness known as joint pain, or "the bends," arises due to the formation of nitrogen bubbles within the body's tissues and bloodstream after a diver surfaces too quickly. When divers are exposed to high-pressure environments, nitrogen is absorbed into their bodies. If ascent occurs too rapidly, nitrogen can come out of solution, leading to bubble formation. These bubbles can lodge in various tissues, including joints, causing significant pain and discomfort, often described as severe joint pain.

While nausea, dizziness, and itching can occur for various reasons during diving or after a dive, they are not specific to decompression sickness in the same way that joint pain is. Nausea might indicate issues such as seasickness or other physiological responses to pressure changes, dizziness could be related to various factors including hypoxia or inner ear issues, and itching may result from skin reactions or other conditions, but none of these are definitive indicators of decompression sickness like joint pain. Thus, joint pain is the hallmark symptom that helps identify this serious condition requiring immediate attention and treatment.