FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Strangulation often leaves little or no visible evidence, but Fairfax County officials say it is one of the strongest warning signs that someone experiencing domestic violence may later become the victim of homicide.

That message is behind a July 29 training for medical providers, law enforcement, victim advocates, attorneys and other professionals who work with survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

While the training is not open to the general public, county officials say raising public awareness about strangulation could save lives.

"Strangulation actually increases the risk of lethality for someone experiencing domestic violence by over 700 percent," Abby Picard, prevention and education coordinator with Fairfax County's Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, told Patch in an interview.

Picard said strangulation is both a legal and medical term describing any act that intentionally impedes another person's ability to breathe.

While many people think only of someone placing their hands around another person's neck, strangulation can also include suffocation with an object, such as a pillow, or any action that blocks a person's airway.

One of the greatest dangers, she said, is that victims frequently do not realize they have suffered serious injuries.

"It actually takes very little pressure to occlude a person's breathing," Picard said, adding that many victims have no obvious bruising or other external injuries immediately afterward.

Instead, symptoms can develop over the next 24 to 48 hours as internal injuries worsen.

People should seek immediate medical attention if they lost consciousness, develop changes in their voice, have difficulty swallowing, notice bruising or marks on their neck, or experience other symptoms after being strangled, Picard said.