Our odds of being struck by lightning may be one in a million in a given year, and one in 10,000 over our lifetime, but what happens if we’re that one? In Brit Lab’s video, “What Happens When You Get Struck By Lightning,” British scientist Mark Miodownik explains being hit by lightning can have various physical effects on the human body by affecting the circulatory and neurological systems in just seconds.

As humans, we’re good conductors of electricity, because the human body is 70 percent water and electricity moves quickly through water. We are comprised of atoms that transmit electrons for our neural network's basic functionality. However, this becomes a problem when lightning strikes, since a bolt generates 300 kilovolts (kV) and can course through us in just 3 milliseconds, injuring our head, shoulders, and upper torso.

Using Perspex (a heat insulator), Miodownik demonstrates in the video how the power of the lightning strike is able to heat the surrounding air to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit (F), causing third-degree burns where the bolt enters and exits the body. The electrical discharge can leave Lichtenberg figures (lightning bolt-shaped), which occur as blood vessels burst. The heat and force can shred clothing and even blow people out of their shoes.

In addition to bursting blood vessels and damaging the cardiac muscles, lightning can cause cardiovascular and neurological effects — some of the most dangerous and immediate complications. It disrupts the heart's electrical rhythm and could possibly lead to cardiac arrest and cerebral hypoxia, or reduced oxygen supply in the brain.

According to the National Weather Service, people who have been struck by lightning and do not suffer cardiac arrest at the time of the strike may experience any of the following mild symptoms, including muscle soreness, headache, memory slowness, and dizziness and/or balance problems. These symptoms will often clear up after a few days. Longer term problems, including slow reaction time, distractibility, irritability, and headaches may also occur.

Despite lightning's dangerous effects, surprisingly, 70 to 90 percent of victims survive.