Is the electric shock nerve injury dangerous?

This type of injury can occur when a person touches an electrical source. In this case, the energy will flow through the body, generating a shock. This can cause devastating damage to the human body and many people who are electrocuted lose their lives. Each year many people suffer from electrocution after coming in direct contact with electrical circuitry, appliances, or simple electrical wires. A few people suffer nerve damages after getting hit by a lightning. But the most frequent electric injury are the burns. Regardless of your injury type, consult with a personal injury attorney if you’ve been involved in such an incident.

More people are electrocuted each year than you might think

Both children and adults are prone to suffer an electrocution injury. Aside from the burns, another typical electrical injury is the nerve damage. Each year more than 1,000 people die in the U.S. after suffering an electric shock nerve injury. When suffering this type of injury, the eyes, skin, brain, internal organs, and nerves from inside the body suffer extensive damage and stop working.

Nerves are extremely fragile and can easily get damaged by pressure, cutting, stretching or by suffering an electric shock. After an electrocution, nerves get damaged and the signals coming to the brain stop reaching the affected area. This will cause temporary or permanent damage. As a result, the muscles and internal organs might stop working properly. Many people have reported a permanent loss of feeling in the electrocution affected area. This is also the result of nerve damage.

Types of nerves that can be damaged in an electrocution incident

Inside the human body, there are between 95 and 100 billion neurons and nerve cells that move the information from the brain to other parts of the body and back. These are very sensitive and can get affected.

Motor nerves

This type of nerves are responsible for all physical movement. If they get damaged, you might feel muscle cramps, weakness in the muscles, muscle twitching, atrophy, and visible shrinking of the muscle size.

Autonomic nerves

The human body has many autonomic nerves, which are responsible for automatic systems (like the heartbeat and breathing). When these nerves are damaged, you might present many symptoms, such as sweating, gastrointestinal problems, low blood pressure, and irregular heartbeats.

Sensory nerves

These nerves are responsible for senses, including sight, hearing, taste, and touch. When these nerves get damaged, their sensitivity will decrease. You might also experience tingling and numbness in the muscles or neuropathic pain.