Asphyxia is a medical term used to describe a lack of oxygen in the body caused by a decrease in the amount of oxygen in the air or a decrease in the amount of oxygen in the blood. It can be caused by a variety of conditions, including choking, drowning, suffocation, and airway obstruction. When someone suffers from asphyxia, their body is unable to get enough oxygen, and they can quickly become unconscious and die. In a medical context, death due to asphyxia is often referred to as a “silent death” because the person may not have any outward signs of distress.