FAMILY MEDICINE® COLUMN

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

WALKING IN THE RAIN IS O.K. -- UNLESS IT'S LIGHTNING, TOO

Question: A few years ago I was struck by lightning because I was holding an umbrella during a thunderstorm. After a day in the hospital, I fully recovered. I know people die from lightning strikes. How often does this happen?

Answer: While lightning strikes are very dangerous, they are uncommon. In the United States about 600 people are killed each year by lightning strikes and another 1,800 are injured. To put this in perspective, it may help to remember that the risk of being struck by lightning is about the same as the chance of winning big in your state's lottery. (I'll take the lottery, thank you.)
Lightning injuries usually happen when individuals are outdoors but fail to seek shelter as the storm approaches. Frequent locations are the beach or the golf course. Not too surprisingly, the popular vacation state of Florida has been ranked number one in deaths due to lightning a number of times. Most of the lightning victims in the Sunshine State are visitors, with men between 19 and 35 being most frequently involved in this catastrophe.

Lightning is an electrical spark which appears to the eye to jump from the clouds to the ground. Electricity -- and lightning -- take the path of least resistance. Lightning will strike a tree on top of the hill if it is closer than the tree at the bottom of the hill, but the man on the side of the hill under his metal umbrella is the path of least resistance. That is where the lightning will strike -- as you know by firsthand experience! Metal conducts electricity better than air, so golf clubs, umbrellas and other metal products tend to attract lightning. Get under a permanent shelter or building in a storm; don't stand under your umbrella!

Question: My major injury when I was struck by lightning was burns. Is this what usually happens?

Answer: Lightning is an intense electrical spark which injures individuals by heat and by the electric current itself. Burns, as you suffered, are almost always present. At times they may be extensive, but occasionally they are minor. Any organ can be damaged by lightning. The particular organ or organs involved and the severity of damage determine the outcome.
Muscles contract very forcefully with the massive electrical stimulation of lightning. Muscle damage can range from stiffness and soreness to total destruction. The nervous system is also frequently injured. Memory loss about the events around the time of the lightning strike are common as is a persistent ringing in the ears. More severe damage to the brain produces symptoms similar to a stroke. The heart, lungs and kidneys may also suffer serious damage.
The damage produced by lightning may not be totally apparent during the first few hours after the event. Recovery from any of the injuries without any noticeable effect is uncommon. Most people are left with scars from burns, an arm which doesn't work "just right," or more serious problems from injury to the nervous and muscle systems. You are truly lucky to have “fully recovered”! In the future I’d recommend that you and my other readers try prevention. Interrupting your day on the beach or your golf game when that little thunderstorm rolls in is the really smart thing to do!

"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.

Past columns are available online at http://www.FamilyMedicineNews.org.