What happens to a person who
has been struck by lightning?
Cardiac arrest, irreversible
brain damage or delayed death are some of the possible effects one may suffer
when struck by lightning. Statistics show that the likelihood of this happening
to you or a member of your family is approximately one out of five thousand,
according to the National Weather Service.
One third of all of those who
are struck by lightning, are normally engaged in some kind of employment.
Another third are involved in recreational or sports activities and the other
third involves people in different scenarios, including those inside buildings
struck by lightning.
Many people do not survive when
they have been struck by lightning. Those who do survive may suffer immediate,
short or long term effects, in terms of various kinds of health related
problems.
Becoming aware of what happens
to a person who has been struck by lightning, will help you to understand first
aid options.
"Lightning tends to be a
nervous system injury and may affect the brain, autonomic nervous system and
the peripheral nervous system. While the brain is affected, the person often
has difficulty with short term memory, coding new information and accessing old
information, multitasking, distractibility, irritability and personality
change." (1)
When a person has been struck
by lightning, initially he or she may complain of ringing in his or her ears.
He or she may experience dizziness, nausea and vomiting, as well as experience
other symptoms that one might expect following a concussion.
Sleeping problems may occur.
Seizure activity may be noted, several weeks to months later. If frontal lobe
damage has occurred from the lightning strike, a person may be irritable and angered easily. He or she may experience
difficulty in doing certain things and lose the ability to communicate with
others effectively and may seek to be isolated from them. Depression may lead
to suicide.
Fatigue or exhaustion may be evidenced,
particularly when a person struck by lighting, tries to return to
his or her job and finds that he or she is not able to do the same kind of work
that he or she would have been able to do previously.
Drug or alcohol abuse or
addiction may ensue, as a coping mechanism.
When a person has been struck
by lightning, there may be anatomical damage to the human body, as he or she
may have sustained a physical injury related to a sudden fall.
Many of the medical changes
that a person suffers, after having been struck by lightning, tend to be
functional in nature, as opposed to being anatomical, but anatomical injuries
need to be ruled out by normal tests, like x-rays.
Functional tests, including a
Positron Emission Tomograph (PET scan) and Single Photon Emission Computed
Tomography (SPECT) may be indicated, if the patient appears to have functional
problems.
Neurocognitive or
neuropsychological testing, administered by a neurophsychologist, may be
indicated, to assess the memory, IQ and organizational ability of the affected
patient.
Ongoing complaints of
persistent back pain may be the result of sudden bone compression or
displacement. Nerve and disc injuries may occur when a person is thrown, by a
lighting strike. Nerve entrapment syndrome may occur, if the patient's limbs
have been involved.
Over time, decreased libido and
impotence may become apparent, as well
Being struck by lighting puts a
person into a temporary state of shock. This kind of a scenario should be taken
seriously.
So, if you are aware that
someone has been struck by lighting, administer CPR immediately and call 911
for medical advice and assistance.
Other first aid options may
include the following, depending upon the nature of injuries that the injured
person has sustained: administration of oxygen, continual monitoring of vital
signs, wound care for possible bleeding or hemorrhaging, trauma care for head
injuries or concussion. trauma care for neck or back injuries, trauma care for
limb displacement or fractures, skin care for burns, cuts or scrapes and ongoing
assessment for alertness, awareness and orientation.
Transfer the injured person to
a medical facility, as soon as possible, for assessment and treatment. His or
her physician, as well as family members, should be advised of the lightning
strike and any injuries that have been sustained, as there may be long term, medical implications.
It is important to protect
yourself and others from being struck by lightning, so take appropriate
precautions.
Being aware of first aid options,
with regard to treating anyone struck by lightning, is important. Knowing the
immediate, short and long term effects of being struck by lightning, will help
to show you the kind of medical care that is needed with respect to each
scenario.
Stay safe and teach others the
basics of medical care for anyone struck by lightning, as this can happen at
any time and in any place, often unexpectedly.
Please note that the
information about the effects of lightning strikes has been obtained from the
following web site:
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