The science of survival

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What to do when lightning strikes

Globally, about 65 people are killed every day due to lightning strikes and about 650 get injured. In India, according to the National Crime Records Bureau 2020, at least seven people are killed due to lightning per day.

While lightning strikes can cause moderate injuries like seizures, in severe cases they could also cause cardiopulmonary arrests.

If caught in a setting where there is a threat of a lightning strike, it is best to go indoors and seek shelter immediately and get off elevated areas such as hills, mountain ridges or peaks.

It is also advisable to stay away from objects that conduct electricity (barbed wire fences, power lines, windmills, etc).

Water can be a friend. Or a foe

Drowning, the third leading cause of unintentional injury deaths, is a major public health problem. If adequate precautions are not followed, it can happen even among swimmers.

How to help a person having an epileptic fit

Not leaving an epileptic person unattended, preventing a fall and turning them to one side are among the steps that can help

Snakebite: signs, symptoms and first aid

More than 5.4 million snake bites occur across the globe each year. Experts say while most snakebites are not fatal, it is best to treat the snake as a venomous one if you can’t identify it.

The simple, magical world of CPR

The emergency, life-saving medical procedure can prevent death in case of cardiac arrest or attack. A skill that should be taught to all, CPR can triple the chances of survival, say experts.