What to know if you’ve experienced strangulation
Strangulation is extremely scary and dangerous. Legally, strangulation is a felony, and may be an attempted homicide.
We recommend that you seek medical attention if you experience nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness, headache, involuntary urination or defecation, or difficulty breathing, speaking, or swallowing, especially if pregnant.
You may have experienced loss of consciousness- a common symptom of strangulation. Unconsciousness can happen quickly and is caused by any or all of the following methods: blocking of the carotid arteries in the neck (depriving the brain of oxygen), blocking of the jugular veins (preventing blood from exiting the brain), and closing off the airway, making breathing impossible.
Other symptoms of strangulation are described in this brochure. Some injuries may not be visible immediately but will appear in the hours or even days after the incident. We recommend writing down a timeline of your symptoms and visible injuries or recording them by taking photos.
Caring Unlimited advocates are available to answer your questions and offer you support.
Symptoms of Strangulation
VOICE CHANGES Raspy and/or hoarse voice, coughing, unable to speak. complete loss of voice.
SWALLOWING CHANGES Trouble swallowing, painful swallowing, neck pain, nausea/ vomiting, drooling.
BREATHING CHANGES Difficulty breathing, hyperventilation, unable to breathe.
BEHAVIORAL CHANGES Restlessness or combativeness, problems concentrating, amnesia, agitation, Post- Traumatic Stress Syndrome, hallucinations.
VISION CHANGES Complete loss or black & white vision, seeing ‘stars,’ blurry, darkness, fuzzy around the eyes.
HEARING CHANGES Complete loss of hearing, gurgling, ringing, buzzing, popping, pressure, tunnel- like hearing.
OTHER CHANGES Memory loss, unconsciousness, dizziness, headaches, involuntary urination or defecation, loss of strength, going limp.
Signs of Strangulation
HEAD Petechiae on scalp, hair pulled, bump(s), skull fracture, concussion.
FACE Red or flushed, petechiae, scratch marks.
EYES AND EYELIDS Petechiae on either or both eyeballs, bloodshot eyes.
EAR Petechiae (external and/or ear canal), bleeding from ear canal.
NOSE Bloody nose, broken nose, petechiae.
MOUTH Bruising, swollen tongue, swollen lips, cuts/ abrasions, petechiae on roof of mouth.
UNDER THE CHIN Redness, scratch marks, bruise(s), abrasions.
NECK Redness, scratch marks, fingernail impressions, bruise(s), abrasions, swelling, ligature marks.
CHEST AND SHOULDERS Redness, scratch marks, bruise(s), abrasions.
What is petechiae?
Petechiae (pronounced peh- TEE- kee- uh) are small red or purple dots caused by burst blood vessels. They can appear on any part of the body, but if you have experienced strangulation, you may find them on the scalp, around or on the eyeball, in the ear, on the roof of the mouth, or on the nose.
Petechiae may not appear at all, or may appear after several days.
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