what happens if you get struck by lightning

Getting struck by lightning can cause a range of injuries, from mild burns to death, depending on how close the person is to the lightning strike and how exposed they were. The most severe injuries tend to come from direct strikes, which occur when a person is in an open area and becomes part of the main lightning discharge channel. Direct strikes can cause cardiac arrest, which stops the body from circulating blood, and direct injury to the brain and nervous system, preventing the brain from being able to send the appropriate signals to tell the body to continue breathing. Lightning can also cause a brain hemorrhage or stroke, as well as tissue injuries and deep thermal burns within the body. Even if a person is not directly struck by lightning, they can still experience damage. For example, ruptured eardrums can occur from the thunderous sound waves created by the nearby strike, and minor thermal burns and nervous system damage can occur through an indirect strike, where the body is only exposed to a fraction of the energy of the lightning. Survivors of lightning strikes may suffer from movement disorders, lifelong neurological damage, cataracts, injuries to their optic nerves and other eye injuries, and damage to the inner ear that can lead to vertigo, tinnitus, paralysis of facial nerves, and deafness.