You have a one in a million chance of being struck by lightning.
But although the phenomenon is extremely rare, it still happens.
Doctors in Italy have shared shocking photos of the devastating injuries that lightning can cause.
The images show a 50-year-old man who was hit by a car while cycling in a forest during a summer rainstorm. He later died.
A 50-year-old man from Italy was struck by lightning while cycling in a forest during a summer rainstorm. In the photo: the injuries to his head
He also had burnt skin and hair on his pubic area (photo) which medics said was caused by the glowing bicycle frame that hit him when he was hit
The moment he was struck by lightning, the unidentified man immediately went into cardiac arrest and lost consciousness.
For unknown reasons, bystanders did not try to save his life.
It was only luck that a nearby doctor stepped into a wooded area on the outskirts of the city of Trieste to begin CPR.
Paramedics arrived 15 minutes later and took him to hospital.
There, doctors examined his injuries and found a small black patch of burned tissue on his head where they believed he had been struck by lightning.
His hair was tossed by lightning and doctors described a burning smell emanating from him.
Burnt plastic from his bicycle helmet was found in the area of the torn skin on his head.
Lightning can cause temperatures of up to 800°C in milliseconds during the instantaneous attack and cause severe burns to skin and hair.
He also had burnt skin and hair in his pubic area, which doctors said was caused by him slipping on the light bulb bicycle frame when he was hit.
His ear drum burst and CT scans showed bleeding in his brain.
Surgeons operated on him and stopped the bleeding before he was admitted to intensive care.
His damaged muscle tissue released proteins into his blood, leading to a serious condition called rhabdomyolysis. This resulted in severe kidney damage.
After the operation, he was sedated and subjected to further tests while he was still unconscious.
Another CT scan the day after he was taken showed brain damage that had clearly worsened over the days.
He died on the tenth day after being admitted to the hospital from the reduced blood supply to his organs caused by the cardiac arrest and bleeding, without ever waking up.
His brain was also directly damaged by the electrical current from the lightning.
Doctors who treated the man reported his case in the Journal of Medical Case Reports.
His ear drum burst during the fight and CT scans showed small bleeds in his brain (pictured)
They wrote in the journal: “Lightning strikes cause injuries through several mechanisms.
“A direct strike is lightning striking a person directly, and this was the primary mechanism of injury in the patient reported here.
“Survival of persons suffering from direct lightning [cardiac arrest] is a rare occurrence.’
Lightning strikes cause about 300 injuries and 100 deaths in the United States each year. In the UK, 30 to 60 people are affected each year, with around three dying.
About 30 percent of people struck by lightning usually die an hour later from cardiac arrhythmias or breathing problems.
Up to three quarters of survivors are left with permanent disabilities.
In related news…
Tragedy as young man killed after being struck by lightning – as severe weather ravages Australia
A Briton struck by lightning while fleeing a thunderstorm on a Croatian beach has been ‘brought back to life’ after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Lightning kills 20 people in just 24 hours in eight districts of India
Source link
Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
