Evidence of suffocation may include small red or purple splotches in the eyes and on the face and neck as well as the lungs (petechial hemorrhages). Asphyxiation may also produce foam in the airways as the victim struggles to breathe and mucus from the lungs mixes with air. This is especially typical in drowning.
What are the symptoms of suffocation?
Symptoms
- shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
- a slow heart rate.
- hoarseness.
- a sore throat.
- confusion.
- loss of consciousness.
- nosebleeds.
- visual changes.
How can asphyxiation be detected?
There are non-specific physical signs used to attribute death to asphyxia. These include visceral congestion via dilation of the venous blood vessels and blood stasis, petechiae, cyanosis and fluidity of the blood.
