An explanation of the appearance of bruises on the body of a deceased person

Bruises are a natural response that occurs when the body is hit. The impact causes the capillary blood vessels to burst. The blood that comes out of the vessels is then trapped under the skin and gives a blackish color. Although it is natural for everyone to experience, bruises can also appear after a person dies.

Since the cause is trauma to the body, bruises on those who die are sometimes associated with morbid cases of death. So, is it true that a bruise can indicate an unnecessary cause of death?

Why do bruises appear after someone dies?

The appearance of bruising on the body of a deceased person is known as livor mortis or hypostasis . Medically, this condition is actually a change in skin color due to stopping blood flow after a person dies.

Throughout life, the heart continues to pump blood and circulate it to all body tissues. The blood is then pumped back to the heart and so on so that no blood builds up in any part of the body.

Once a person dies, the heart stops functioning. Blood finally carried by gravity to the lowest part of the body. If the body remains in a lying position, blood will collect on the back, waist, buttocks, and legs.

Blood that collects after a person dies gives the impression of bruising. However, this is not the same as a bruise caused by an impact. Purple stains that appear as a result of decreased blood flow are called lividitas.

Are bruises on people who have died always normal?

Blood that is no longer pumped by the heart will naturally flow to the lowest part of the body. However, keep in mind that the lowest part of the body depends on the position of the person concerned when he died.

If a person dies lying down, lividity will occur along the back to the feet. On the other hand, people who died as a result of hanging themselves, for example, can show lividity in the feet, fingertips, and earlobes.

Bruises after a person dies can be called normal if they are in normal parts of the body. Bruises on other parts of the body could indicate that the body has been removed or that some other factor is the cause.

Another factor that causes bruising

There are a variety of factors that can cause bruises to appear on the body of a deceased person. According to a study in Journal of Clinical Pathology and other sources, the factors are as follows:

1. Age of the person who died

Bruises appear more easily when the person who died is a child or the elderly. The reason is, they have soft and thin skin. The elderly also have skin that is no longer tight and blood vessels that are no longer healthy, so the bruises take longer to heal.

2. A blunt blow

Bruises that appear after a person dies can come from blunt force blows. Usually, a blunt force blow will create a long, cylindrical bruise. Bruises may also appear on abnormal areas of the body.

3. Certain diseases

Illness suffered by a person during his lifetime can be the cause of bruising when he dies. This disease is usually related to blood circulation and connective tissue, such as hypertension, heart disease, impaired collagen production, and so on.

4. Poisons that enter the body

Skin color can be an indication of foreign substances or toxins that enter the body before a person dies. For example, carbon monoxide can turn your skin reddish.

The body undergoes many changes after death, including showing a color that resembles bruises. This is completely normal, as long as the bruise appears on the part of the body where the blood is least supplied.

If the bruise appears on an unusual part of the body, further investigations can be carried out to determine the cause.