Safety Tips To Avoid Lightning Strikes -Dr.M.A.Aleem Neurologist Trichy Tamilnadu India

Safety Tips To Avoid Lightning Strikes

-Dr.M.A.Aleem
Neurologist
Trichy
Tamilnadu
India

In recent days death due to lightning  is frequently reported in Our state

Lightning strikes may be rare, but they still happen and the risk of serious injury or death is severe. So take thunder lightning seriously.

The Effects of a Lightning Strike on the Brain

Surprisingly enough, many lightning strike survivors do not remember being struck. Instead, the only evidence of the traumatic event is burnt, displaced clothing and marks along the body.

One of the most intense effects of a lightning strike occurs within the brain: if the bolt’s electrical current enters the brain directly, the heat and electricity will cook the brain cells, rendering them useless. Yet for many people, these bolts’ effects on the brain appear more subtly over time.

For instance, many lightning strike survivors report memory issues, trouble with concentration and severe headaches, all of which last decades after the initial strike.

There is a significant differences in brain activity between lightning-strike victims and healthy people as they performed mental-aptitude tests.

Aside from impacting long-term brain function, lightning strikes are also known to blow out eardrums, prompting constant muscle twitches and moderate to severe nerve damage. Overall, the effects of a lightning strike may range from a slight inconvenience to a debilitating, lifelong struggle.

Lightning can results head injury concomitant with lightning stroke, cerebral hypoxia or a post-traumatic stress syndrome.  Lightning stroke can also result in subtle cognitive impairments. It is speculated that most complaints of these survivors are caused by a vegetative dysregulation, a disorder that has often been noted in the literature on the effects of electrical injury to the nervous system. Such a dysregulation might cause both the main complaint of fatigue and the mild cognitive impairments identified with the present test battery.

Lightning  can results in serious neurologic complications after being struck by lightning.

The spectrum of neurologic lesions includes the entire neuraxis from the cerebral hemispheres to the peripheral nerves.

These  neurologic disorders can occur  with regard to the site of the lesion, severity of the deficit, and the outcome.

Damage to the nervous system can be a serious problem for patients struck by lightning. Fatalities are associated with hypoxic encephalopathy in patients who suffered cardiac arrests. Patients with spinal cord lesions are likely to have permanent sequelae and paralysis.

Tips to Protect Yourself from Lightning Strikes

You can protect yourself from risk even if you are caught outdoors when lightning is close by.

Safety precautions-
Outdoors

If the weather forecast calls for thunderstorms, postpone your trip or activity.

Remember: 

When thunder roars, go indoors. Find a safe, enclosed shelter.

Don’t forget the 30-30 rule. After you see lightning, start counting to 30. If you hear thunder before you reach 30, go indoors. Suspend activities for at least 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder.

If no shelter is available, crouch low, with as little of your body touching the ground as possible. Lightning causes electric currents along the top of the ground that can be deadly over 100 feet away.

Stay away from concrete floors or walls. Lightning can travel through any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring.Although you should move into a non-concrete structure if possible, being indoors does not automatically protect you from lightning. In fact, about one-third of lightning-strike injuries occur indoors.

In open places avoid stand with Crowds and try to stand  100 feets apart.

Avoid standing near tree please  a meter away from tree

During travel please  inside closed vehicles  . Don't come out on road.

Safety precautions - indoors

Avoid water during a thunderstorm. Lightning can travel through plumbing.

Avoid electronic equipment of all types. Lightning can travel through electrical systems and radio and television reception systems.

Avoid corded phones. However, cordless or cellular phones are safe to use during a storm.

Avoid concrete floors and walls.

please Adopt according to the situations during thunderstorms to avoid lighting Strikes and injuries.