FAMILY MEDICINE® COLUMN
By John C. Wolf, D.O.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine®
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

[BE CAREFUL IN THUNDERSTORMS: LIGHTNING CAN KILL! ]

Question: My uncle, who lives in Texas, was struck by lightning last summer. Fortunately, he survived the experience with only minor burns. The injury made all of us in the family aware that the dangers of lightning are real, rather than a remote problem that always happens to someone else. But how common is being struck by lightning?

Answer: Lightning is a direct result of a large difference in electrical charge between the clouds and the ground. This difference in voltage ultimately becomes so great that it overcomes the insulating property of the air. Then, a cloud-to-ground lightning strike occurs. The National Weather Service estimates that there are 100,000 thunderstorms each year causing approximately 30 million lightning strikes. That makes quite a few opportunities for injury! All areas of the country experience thunderstorms, but they are most common in Florida and along the Gulf coast.

Considering the large number of lightning strikes, it is surprising that there are only about 50 to 100 deaths each year caused by it. (The numbers vary depending on the specific year and also on the way in which the statistics are collected.) There are also about 260 lightning injuries, like your uncle suffered, each year. Ninety-two percent of lightning injuries and fatalities are recorded between May and September the months most of us play outdoors and 73 percent are in the afternoon or early evening.

Of those persons struck by lightning, about 30 percent die, most within one hour of the injury. Of those who survive, about 73 percent have some form of permanent disability. Your uncle is among the most fortunate of survivors.

Your uncle's experience with lightning reminds me that there is a need for all of us to be more knowledgeable about the possible health consequences of this natural phenomenon. These injuries are a consequence of outdoor activities, so pay attention to the weather forecast when going outdoors. Be particularly vigilant when thunderstorms are forecast. Remember also that lightning often precedes rain and that it can strike as far as 10 miles from the storm front. When the storm front moves in or you hear thunder, move indoors.

People who stay out on the beach or golf course when a storm approaches are the most likely to be struck by lightning. If an unavoidable circumstance requires that you stay outside in a storm, follow one or more of these suggestions to reduce your risk of injury: Avoid standing near tall objects such as trees because the lightning may strike them and also pass through you. Lightning will also strike metal object such as an umbrella or golf clubs. Get under a permanent shelter or building in a storm, or get into your vehicle; don't stand under your umbrella!

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to John C. Wolf, D.O., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Grosvenor Hall, Athens, Ohio 45701.