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Movements of the limbs, strange sounds, or lengthening of nails – these are just a few reactions of the human body after death. After death, the human body undergoes slow changes, sometimes accompanied by surprising sounds and “behaviors”.
- With the death of a person, all vital functions of the body disappear, but this does not mean that the internal organs decompose at the same rate
- The first visible change is the change in skin color, caused by the pooling of blood
- After death, muscle tension is lost, which can lead to sounds, uncontrolled movements and the excretion of urine and faeces.
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With death, the color of the skin gradually changes. First, due to gravity, the so-called precipitation spots, a the skin turns purple-red. Also, the shade of the blood itself depends on the method and type of death, e.g. carbon monoxide poisoning causes the blood to become more cherry red because it lacks oxygen. The skin of victims of hydrogen sulfide gas poisoning may even turn green.
What Happens After Death? Posthumous squeals and groans
Many people tell stories that they have seen or heard the dead breathe. This is partly true and has a simple scientific explanation. Sometimes after CPR or The vocal cords may vibrate as gases are released from the bacteria in the dead body. According to Mary Lachman, a pathologist at Westmed Medical Group, “you may make sounds that resemble moans or squeaks” after death. However, it is not worth panicking. This usually occurs when someone presses against the chest or moves the body of the deceased.
Looking at the bodies of the deceased at funerals, you can conclude that they look better than in life and that their skin is less wrinkled. This is also the case in fact. With death muscle tension disappears, and as a result, the skin becomes a bit smoother. The same happens with hair and nails. A popular myth is that they continue to grow even after death.
– This is only apparent – says Dr. Judy Melinek. “The impression of hair and nails lengthening is caused by the drying of the scalp and skin of the limbs, revealing more hair and nails under the receding tissues,” he adds.
- See also: She was “dead” for several hours. How was it possible to save her?
Sometimes preserving our body after death can be a bit confusing. When bacteria in the body of a deceased person begin to break down the digestive system, the body can release foul air through every opening of the body – including the mouth. And this is just the beginning. With death, literally all muscles relax. In practice, this means that the remnants of urine and feces that remain in the body will be excreted from the body.
After death, a dead body may move
Unfortunately, this is not the only unpleasant smell that accompanies death. After two to three days, internal organs begin to break down and produce two chemicals – putrescine and cadaverine – which Dr. Lachman says can cause the overwhelming, sour smell of rotten meat.
- Read: What happens to the body just before death? It was checked by a neurologist
Another consequence of cardiac arrest is a gradual drop in temperature. The body of a deceased person under normal conditions cools down for 20 to 30 hours, until it reaches the ambient temperature. Dead body retains the ability to move for some time. Muscles can continue to twitch and contract for several hours after death, which can be very disturbing to anyone who is around. It has to do with setting up postmortem and its tempering. Within 12 hours of death, the entire body becomes stiff. It usually takes several days to return to its natural state.
The organs of the deceased are only fit for transplant for a short time
The fact that the brainstem is dying does not mean that the entire body is “shutting down” at a similar rate. According to Dr. Melinka eyes, heart, bones, and skin may still be transplantable for up to 15 hours after death. Emergency medicine and transplantology often make use of it.
The time of decomposition of the body depends, among others from the method of death. When individual parts of the body begin to break down, enzymes and bacteria digest them. This process can begin quickly depending on the cause of death.
- Check: The doctor felt she was dying. Something unexpected happened
– When you die of sepsis, a disease that affects most of your body, putrefying is very quick because the bacteria that break down tissues after death are everywhere – says Dr. Melinek. People who have overdosed on certain medications that raise their body temperature – such as methamphetamine, ecstasy, or cocaine – may also show an accelerated rate of breakdown, the medic says.
Change to soap after death
Although it has very bad associations, it may be so. As Melinek argues, bodies left in a cool, humid environment they often break down chemically called adipocere, which turns fat into soap. Rather than rot, the bones gradually turn into a sticky, pale yellowish or gray material that is commonly referred to as “grave wax”.
At 10 degrees Celsius, soft tissue takes about four months to decompose. In higher temperatures, the temperature is much faster. Sometime after death, all that remains of the human body are cartilage, bones and pieces of dried skin.