What happens when you die? From a physical standpoint, death is when the body's vital functions stop, including breathing (respiration), heartbeat, and brain activity. The dying process can happen gradually or it can occur very quickly.
From the moment of death, the body starts to undergo various changes including a drop in temperature, and skin color and texture alterations. The muscles relax, stiffen, and then relax again.
Approaching Death
Dying is different for everyone. It can happen quickly or progressively.Those dying from a chronic illness may:
- Stop eating and/or drinking
- Sleep more due to a lack of energy
- Experience temporary periods of unconsciousness
- Lose control over the bowels and/or bladder
- Experiencea slowing pulse, along with slow or erratic breathing
- Experience a drop in body temperature
- Produce an audible "death rattle" in the final moments of life
What Happens at the Moment of Death?
By definition, death occurs when blood circulation (the heart) and respiration (breathing) stop and cannot be brought back, or whenbrain death (the brain/brain stem ceases working) occurs. The determination of death must be made according to accepted medical standards.
When a person dies, the organs shut down at different rates. For instance, the lungs typically cease working before the heart stops completely. In some people, the brainstem stops functioning before other organs.
Death May Not Be Immediate
The moment of death is often thought of as the moment when both the heartbeat and breathing have stopped. However, research suggests that brain activity may not cease at that point.The brain is thought to keep “working” for 10 minutes or more after death, meaning that a person’s mindmayhave someawareness of dying.
In a hospital, healthcare providers use a few criteria to declare death. In a setting like an ER or ambulance, paramedics look for thesefive signs to determine if resuscitation, or revival, would be possible or not:
- No pulse
- No breathing
- No reflexes/unresponsive
- No reaction from pupils to bright light
- No heart sounds
12 Signs That Someone Is Near Death
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Click Play to Learn What Happens to Your Body When You Die
This video has been medically reviewed by Chris Vincent, MD.
What Happens During the First Hour After Death?
At the moment of death, all of the muscles in the body relax (primary flaccidity). The eyelids lose their tension, thepupils dilate, the jaw may fall open, and the joints and limbs are flexible.
With the loss of tension in the muscles, the skin will sag, which can cause prominent joints and bones in the body, such as the jaw or hips, to stick out more.
As muscles relax,sphinctersrelease and allow urine and feces to pass.
Within minutes of the heart ceasing to beat,the body will become pale as blood drains from the smaller veins in the skin (pallor mortis). This process can be more visible in people with light skin compared to darker skin.
The body immediately starts to cool from its normal temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature falls by a steady 1.5 degrees F per hour until it reaches the air temperature around it. This is known as the “death chill” (algor mortis).
The expected decrease in body temperature during algor mortis can help forensic scientists get the approximate time of death, assuming the body has not completely cooled or been exposed to extreme environmental temperatures.
What Happens 2 to 6 Hours After Death?
Since the heart no longer pumps blood, gravity begins to pull it to the areas of the body closest to the ground (pooling), a process calledlivor mortis. If the body is not disturbed for several hours, the parts nearest the ground can develop a reddish-purple discoloration that looks like a bruise. This is caused by the accumulation of blood. Embalmers sometimes call it the "postmortem stain."
From two to six hours after death, chemical changes in the cells of the body cause all muscles to stiffen (rigor mortis). The first muscles affected are the eyelids, jaw, and neck.
The old custom of placing coins on the eyelids of the deceased might have originated from the desire to keep the eyes shut, since rigor mortis affects them first.
Over the next several hours, rigor mortis spreads to the face and down the chest, abdomen, arms, and legs until it finally reaches the fingers and toes.
When infants and young children die, their bodies may not display rigor mortis, possibly due to their smaller muscle mass.
What Happens 7 to 12 Hours After Death?
Maximum muscle stiffness from rigor mortis in the body occurs after about 10 to 12 hours. However, this timeline will be affected by a person's age, physical condition, sex, air temperature, and other factors.
At this point, the deceased's limbs are hard to move. The knees and elbows will be slightly flexed, and the fingers and toes can look unusually crooked.
What Happens 12 Hours After Death?
After reaching a state of maximum rigor mortis, the muscles start to loosen because of the continued chemical changes in the cells and internal tissue decay.
The process (secondary flaccidity) takes place over one to three days and is affected by external conditions such as temperature (for example, cold slows the process).
During secondary flaccidity, the skin shrinks and creates the illusion that the deceased’s hair and nails are growing. Rigor mortis starts to disappear in the same order that it appeared over one to three days.
Summary
Death is the moment when the heart stops beating and breathing stops. When death occurs, organs shut down and the brain ceases to function.
After death, the body goes through natural changes. During the first hour, muscles relax, and the skin becomes pale. Over the next two to six hours, muscles begin to stiffen. This stiffening, called rigor mortis, peaks after seven to 12 hours. Beyond 12 hours, the muscles start to relax again.
