 Corpses swell as gases from decomposition accumulate in the torso and the increased pressure forces blood to ooze from the nose and mouth . This causes the body to look " plump , " " well @-@ fed , " and " ruddy " — changes that are all the more striking if the person was pale or thin in life . In the Arnold Paole case , an old woman 's exhumed corpse was judged by her neighbours to look more plump and healthy than she had ever looked in life . The exuding blood gave the impression that the corpse had recently been engaging in vampiric activity . 
