News, Your Health | 4 years ago
It’s summer in the South. And you know what that means – weather that can go from pleasant to perilous in an instant. Thunderstorms can quickly roll in, packing an electrically-charged punch -- lightning. Christopher Griggs, MD, an emergency medicine physician with Atrium Health, discusses what to do to stay safe from one of Mother Nature’s most powerful forces.
It happens more than 25 million times in the United States and it’s one ofthe most awesome forces in nature, lightning. But these discharges ofenergy are also one of the most destructive. Although lightning strikes arescarce, North Carolina ranks as one of the more dangerous states forlightning fatalities (15 deaths) in the country (4th most since2008) – according to statistics from the National Weather Service.
Although they last just 0.1 to 0.01 seconds, lightning strikes carry anamount of energy greater than 10 million volts. To put that in perspective,a high voltage power line is usually 100,000 volts or greater and a typicalhome electrical outlet is 110 volts. And the peak temperature of alightning bolt – 30,000 degrees on the Kelvin scale – or about five timeshotter than the surface of the sun.
Injuries to the Body
“It’s a rare but dangerous injury,” says Christopher Griggs, MD, anemergency medicine physician with Atrium Health. “When we do see it – theinjuries can range anywhere from a mild burn on your body to damage to yourbrain to death. It really depends on how close you are and how exposed youwere to the lightning strike.”
Dr. Griggs says if a person is struck by lightning, it can cause cardiacarrest, which stops a person’s body from circulating blood and cause directinjury to the brain and nervous system, preventing the brain from being ableto send the appropriate signals to tell the body to continue breathing.
Strikes can also cause a brain hemorrhage or stroke, as well as tissueinjuries and deep thermal burns within the body. Dr. Griggs says tissuenear bones can suffer the worst damage since a person’s bones are the mostresistant part of the body to the lightning.
Certainly neurological and muscle injuries can also impact a personthroughout the rest of their life. Those who have suffered a muscle injuryare at risk of developing rhabdomyolysis, a condition where a person’smuscle begins to break down, resulting in a toxic protein flooding thebloodstream and potentially causing kidney damage.
But even if you’re just near the site of a lightning strike, you can stillexperience damage. Ruptured eardrums can occur from the thunderous soundwaves created by the nearby strike. Also minor thermal burns and nervoussystem damage can occur through an indirect strike, where the body is onlyexposed to a fraction of the energy of the lightning.
“It really all depends on how direct the strike is,” Dr. Griggs says. “Aperson can survive a direct strike – it really depends on how much energytraveled through the body and what organs were affected.”
How to Respond
If you’ve witnessed someone struck by lightning, Dr. Griggs says to call9-1-1 immediately. After someone is struck by lightning – unless there isstill an immediate weather danger – they pose no threat to responders.
If a group of people are struck by lightning – a mass casualty event – andyou are trained in CPR, Dr. Griggs says to begin resuscitating first thosewho appear dead.
In a mass casualty event, medical professionals usually prioritize theliving first, since resources are scarce. However, in a mass lightningstrike, those that appear the most dead (i.e. no pulse and not breathing)still have a good chance of surviving if they receive prompt, high-qualityCPR. An automated external defibrillator (AED) can also be used, ifaccessible, to treat arrhythmias that can results from a lightning strike.
Your Best Bet: Stay Indoors
But the best way to stay safe in the event of a lightning strike – stayindoors.
“Find a contained space, some place with a structure all around you, like abuilding or house,” Dr. Griggs says. “If you’re outdoors and do not haveaccess to a building, try to find somewhere like a picnic pavilion – whichwould be safer than standing under a tree or in a tent.”
And when you’ve made it inside, try and stay away from windows and outlets,Dr. Griggs adds.
Tall objects are often struck by lightning so avoid standing near thetallest object, like a tree. If you are in a forest, it is best to stay asfar away from the trees as possible. If you are in an open field withscattered trees, better to sit on the ground away from the trees if youcannot find shelter. Bodies of water are especially dangerous places inlightning storms. Lakes, rivers and bays can act as conductor and you canreceive an indirect strike if you are standing in the water.
Sometimes the greatest risk can be to those who are outdoors ahead of astorm. You may have a false sense of security because the rain has notstarted, and the clouds are far off, but lightning can often precede orfollow the core of a storm, striking locations up to 10 miles away.
As for those who have been unlucky enough to have been struck by lightningmore than once, Dr. Griggs says it’s likely they’re not cursed, justcareless.
“I don’t think they have bad luck,” Dr. Griggs says, “it just may be theirbehavior that puts them at a greater risk, like choosing to be outdoorswhen a lightning storm is rolling in.”
