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Oct 30, 2023 · Here are 10 things you may not know about dying. 1. Dying Is Often a Process. There are numerous causes of death, and many of them are instant. But for people who know death is approaching ...
- 3 min
Oct 8, 2024 · A dying person's breathing becomes slower and less regular. Rapid breaths followed by periods of no breathing at all (Cheyne-Stokes breathing) may occur. It can help to know that as death nears, this does not cause your loved one pain. Your loved one's hands and feet may start looking blotchy, purplish, or mottled.
- Angela Morrow, RN
As dying progresses the heart beats less strongly, blood pressure falls, skin cools down and nails become dusky. Internal organs function less as blood pressure drops. There may be periods of restlessness or moments of confusion, or just gradually deepening unconsciousness. We have no proven way to investigate what people experience during dying.
- Angela Morrow, RN
- Pain. Pain is a common symptom experienced near the end of life, although it can vary from person to person. Pain is not only determined by medical conditions that cause pain, like cancer or lung disease, but also by factors like emotional distress, interpersonal conflicts, and the non-acceptance of one’s own death.
- Shortness of Breath. Shortness of breath, also known as dyspnea, is one of the most common end-of-life symptoms. Even if a person doesn't have lung disease, dyspnea can occur because the organ systems of the body are interconnected.
- Anxiety. Anxiety is normal at the end of life as a person contemplates their own death or struggles through the stages of dying. This is commonly expressed as agitation, worrying, sweating, stomach upset, nausea, sleeping problems, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations.
- Decreased Appetite and Thirst. As a body starts to shut down, it no longer needs as many calories and nutrition to function at such lowered levels. Although it is normal for people to refuse food and drink near the end of life—either because they have no desire for it or find the effort of eating or drinking to be too much—it can still be upsetting for families.
Sep 3, 2022 · Then, at the moment of death, every muscle in the body relaxes. This may cause the person to moan or sigh as any excess air is released from their lungs and into their throat and vocal cords. David Howells/Corbis via Getty Images Corpses decay at the world’s first body farm at the University of Tennessee.
- Hannah Mckennett
- 6 min
Sep 24, 2024 · A dying person may withdraw, bit by bit, from life — a process described as “detaching.” Your loved one may not respond to questions, show interest in their favorite activities, or interact with family members, caregivers or friends. What you can do: Always act as if your loved one can hear you and is aware of what is going on. Hearing is ...
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Nov 13, 2023 · Other signs. If a dying person is attached to a heart rate monitor, those around them will be able to see when their heart has stopped working, meaning that they have died. Other signs of death ...
