When you touch a source of electricity directly, the current can pass through your body and injure you.
Two kinds of injury
You may have one or both:
- External: burns to the skin.
- Internal: damage to organs, bones, muscles and nerves. Electricity can also cause abnormal heart rhythms and sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
What decides how serious it is
- how strong the current was, and what type;
- the path it took through your body;
- how long you were exposed;
- how healthy you are;
- how quickly you are treated.
Common causes
- lightning strikes;
- faulty electrical appliances;
- exposure at work;
- contact with household wiring or power lines;
- accidents with small children who bite or suck on electrical cords, or push objects into outlets.
See a doctor
If you have an electrical injury, see a doctor. You can have internal damage without realising it.
Sources
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, "Electrical Injuries." https://medlineplus.gov/electricalinjuries.html
- Rewritten in hubnx's own words.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from medlineplus.gov
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