Reply to post: Re: I have a DBS installed

Shocking. Lightning strike knocks out neuro patient's brain implant

Stoneshop

Re: I have a DBS installed

As for the recommendation to use a surge protector when charging, there's a reason the UK uses fused plugs in addition to household circuit breakers

As mentioned already, surge protectors may protect the charger and other mains-connected devices from overvoltage, but a lightning strike close by will induce currents in any piece of wire that happens to be at an unfortunate orientation with respect to the strike, and which forms a loop in some way. For which they don't even need to be connected to the mains. Mains wiring does have longer lengths over which they can pick up the strike's induction, in addition to earth potential differences.

Electricity is dangerous even when you're not plugging it into your head

The charger is supplying a low DC voltage to the device, and not running mains straight into it.

But the DBS, connected to the charger or not, could well have gone haywire from the EMP and provided a rather overstimulating pattern. Instead, luckily, it shut down, although that did have some unpleasant side effects too.

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