Thunder and lightning in december8/16/2023 ![]() Have you ever rubbed your feet across carpet and then touched a metal door handle? If so, then you know that you can get shocked! Lightning works in the same way.Ĭlick Here to see where lightning is currently striking across the U.S. The charge coming up from these points eventually connects with a charge reaching down from the clouds and – zap – lightning strikes! The grounds electrical charge concentrates around anything that sticks up, such as mountains, people, or single trees. Since opposites attract, that causes a positive charge to build up on the ground beneath the cloud. The positive charges or protons form at the top of the cloud and the negative charges or electrons form at the bottom of the cloud. After a while, the whole cloud fills up with electrical charges. All of those collisions create an electric charge. Within a thundercloud way up in the sky, many small bits of ice (frozen raindrops) bump into each other as they move around in the air. Lightning kills and injures more people each year than hurricanes or tornadoes between 75 to 100 people. If you hear the sound of thunder, then you are in danger from lightning. All thunderstorms produce lightning and are very dangerous. fireworks display), it is advised to simply continue behaving normally, instead of attempting to comfort animals.Lightning is a bright flash of electricity produced by a thunderstorm. Generally if any animal is anxious during a thunderstorm or any similar, practically harmless event (e.g. Whilst it is less common, cats have been known to hide under a table or behind a couch during a thunderstorm. Studies have also shown that cats can be afraid of thunderstorms. Remedies include behavioral therapies such as counter conditioning and desensitization, anti-anxiety medications, and dog appeasing pheromone, a synthetic analogue of a hormone secreted by nursing canine mothers. Research confirms high levels of cortisol – a hormone associated with stress – affects dogs during and after thunderstorms. Dogs and cats ĭogs may exhibit severe anxiety during thunderstorms between 15 and 30 percent may be affected. Heavy breathing exercises can reinforce this effort. The patient will in many cases be instructed to repeat phrases to themselves in order to become calm during a storm. Some other treatment methods include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). The most widely used and possibly the most effective treatment for astraphobia is exposure to thunderstorms and eventually building an immunity. This can lead to anxiety and in very extreme cases, agoraphobia, the fear of leaving the home. This can become severe enough that the person may not go outside without checking the weather first. They may watch the weather on television constantly during rainy bouts and may even track thunderstorms online. A person with astraphobia may be alert for news of incoming storms. Ī typical sign that someone has astraphobia is a very heightened interest in weather forecasts. Efforts are usually made to smother the sound of the thunder the person may cover their ears or curtain the windows. They might hide underneath a bed, under the covers, in a closet, in a basement, or any other space where they feel safer. ![]() Many people who have astraphobia will look for extra shelter from the storm. For instance, reassurance from other people is usually sought, and symptoms worsen when alone. However, there are some reactions that are unique to astraphobia. Some symptoms are those accompanied with many phobias, such as trembling, crying, sweating, panicked reactions, sudden feeling of using the bathroom, nausea, feeling of dread, insertion of the fingers in the ears, and rapid heartbeat. The term astraphobia is composed of the Greek words ἀστραπή (astrape lightning) and φόβος (phobos fear).Ī person with astraphobia will often feel anxious during a thunderstorm even when they understand that the threat to them is minimal. It is a treatable phobia that both humans and animals can develop. Astraphobia, also known as astrapophobia, brontophobia, keraunophobia, or tonitrophobia, is an abnormal fear of thunder and lightning or an unwarranted fear of scattered and/or isolated thunderstorms, a type of specific phobia.
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