Jimmy Carter Dies at 100: What Happens To Your Body After Death?

Jimmy Carter, who served as the 39th president of the United States (US), passed away on Sunday at the age of 100. He died 22 months after entering hospice care in his hometown of Georgia. He was the oldest living American president. His death leaves Donald Trump, who is 78 years old, in that position.

Health issues had plagued the former President in the past decade. In 2015, he was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma (a skin cancer that had spread to other parts of the body from its point of origin). In his case, tumorous cells had spread to his liver and brain but he came clean with the diagnosis, beating the cancer. In 2019, Carter suffered a series of falls around the time of his birthday in October, with one resulting in a black eye, stitches, and a fractured pelvis. He again went on to make a full recovery.

Here's What Happens To Your Body After Death?

Have you ever wondered what will happen to your body after you die? While it's widely known that organs start deteriorating, there is still very little information about the other changes.

Firstly, the body becomes so relaxed that all fluids, previously held in by muscles and organs, are released. These can cause fluids like blood to emerge from the eyes, nose, and ears of the deceased. Meanwhile, urine or faeces may also be expelled as soon as death occurs.

Meanwhile, the body temperature plummets at an extreme pace as a person dies. The reason behind this is because the body can no longer regulate its temperature. This leads to the process of algor mortis, through which the corpse's temperature drops to match that of its environment. Notably, in places with extreme temperatures, it might increase. But, the body will naturally match the ambient temperature within about 18–20 hours after death.

Moreover, there is discolouration as gravity pulls the blood towards the ground. A body becomes discoloured after death due to a process called livor mortis, which occurs when blood settles in the lowest parts of the body due to gravity. The body also stiffens within one to two hours, gradually increasing before dissipating after 24 to 30 hours.