What will a shock do

All the damage from these burns might not be seen for up to 10 days after the burn. There might be burns where the electrical current enters the body and also where it leaves the body. When electricity passes though your body, the electricity may injure blood vessels, nerves, and muscles. The electrical current may cause rapid and severe swelling in the throat and lungs, making it hard for a person to breathe.

As the electrical current passes through the heart muscle, heartbeat problems can develop. Electricity passing through your body can be powerful enough to cause a fall. This can cause other injuries such as fractures. Electricity can also cause strong muscle contractions that can cause injury. The skin burn from lightning strikes may not be severe. Lightning current usually flows over the body flashover and does not injure deeper organs or tissues, which is the reason some people can survive a lightning strike.

A direct lightning strike can occur when a person is holding or wearing metal objects. Lightning can also strike objects near a person, and some of the lightning current can travel to the person indirectly called a splash. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional.

The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances.

The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Skip to main content. Home Safety. Electric shock. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Symptoms of electric shock Causes of electric shock How to help a victim of electric shock Downed powerlines Safety tips around the home How a safety switch works Where to get help.

Depending on the length and severity of the shock, injuries can include: Burns to the skin Burns to internal tissues Electrical interference or damage or both to the heart, which could cause the heart to stop or beat erratically. Always disconnect the power supply before trying to help a victim of electric shock. Symptoms of electric shock The typical symptoms of an electric shock include: Unconsciousness Difficulties in breathing or no breathing at all A weak, erratic pulse or no pulse at all Burns, particularly entrance and exit burns where the electricity entered and left the body Sudden onset of cardiac arrest.

Causes of electric shock Some of the causes of electric shock include: Faulty appliances Damaged or frayed cords or extension leads Electrical appliances coming in contact with water Incorrect or deteriorated household wiring Downed powerlines Lightning strike.

How to help a victim of electric shock The first thing you must do is disconnect the power supply. It may be necessary to commence cardiopulmonary resuscitation CPR. Call triple zero for an ambulance. You can think of a shock as a river of millions of electrons flying through the air.

Pretty cool, huh? Static electricity happens more often during the colder seasons because the air is drier, and it's easier to build up electrons on the skin's surface. In warmer weather, the moisture in the air helps electrons move off of you more quickly so you don't get such a big static charge.

So, the next time you get a little shock from touching a doorknob, you'll know that it's just electrons jumping around. Think of it as putting a little spark in your life! Reviewed by: KidsHealth Medical Experts. The heart is also a muscle, which beats to pump blood through the body. The rhythm of our heartbeat is controlled by electric impulses—it is these impulses that are monitored by an electrocardiogram.

This irregular heartbeat is called arrhythmia and can even manifest as a total disorganization of the rhythm, known as ventricular fibrillation. When ventricular fibrillation occurs, the heart stops pumping and the blood stops circulating. The victim rapidly loses consciousness and dies if a healthy heartbeat is not restored with a device called a defibrillator. The arrhythmia can occur at the time of the shock or in the hours following the electric shock. When a current above mA passes through the body, it leaves marks at the points of contact with the skin.

Currents above 10, mA 10 A cause serious burns that may require amputation of the affected limb. Some burns are easy to recognize because they look like the burns you can get from contact with heat.

Electrical burns often affect internal organs.