Many people who have had near-death experiences say they saw a bright light at the end of a dark tunnel | Image source: livescience
Birth and death are things that each of us will experience. In the world, about 7,000 people die every hour. Although death is an inescapable fate, we know very little about death itself.
What is death? What happens to our consciousness and body in the period before death comes? Scientists have been able to answer these questions to some extent, so that death is no longer terrifying and mysterious.
Written by | Laura Geggel
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<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="52" > fatigue can occur at any time</h1>
In the months leading up to death, not only do people change physically, but even their hobbies and interests change. For example, seriously ill patients or elderly people who are still free to move around in the months leading up to their deaths usually do not participate in social activities, such as eating together or meeting old friends.
Dr Nina O'Connor, director of the Center for Hospice Care at the University of Pennsylvania, said: "Typically, people who are dying are more concerned about their family members. For them, the type of important event also changes. ”
In addition, people tend to have worse energy towards the end of their lives, and fatigue may occur at any time. This fatigue causes them to sleep for most of the day, and there are many reasons for this fatigue.
"If someone has cancer, the cancer cells will consume a lot of energy in their body. At the same time, irregular breathing can lead to lower oxygen levels in the body and higher concentrations of carbon monoxide in the blood, all of which can lead to fatigue. "In addition, reduced food intake and water intake can cause the body to be unable to access enough energy, causing fatigue." ”
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="51" > appetite drops</h1>
Dr. Michele Casey of Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina agrees, adding, "A person's appetite may decline for a variety of reasons, but for patients in the dying stage, the main reason may be that they produce more catecholamines in their bodies, a chemical that suppresses appetite." ”
At the end of life, especially those with cancer, it is very common for catecholamines to increase in the body. In addition to this, the reason some patients eat less is because of problems with their gut system, which means they have difficulty digesting food.
If these patients are forced to eat, symptoms such as nausea and vomiting may occur. In addition, since taste and smell are often the first type of sensations in the human body, the degradation of the senses at this particular time may make food and drink no longer as delicious as before.
Eating less means less energy gain, which can cause patients to move more slowly. Patients may move, speak, and think more slowly than usual because they need more time to process the information. At the same time, medications taken by patients, such as some painkillers, can cause electrolyte imbalances in the patient's body, slowing down their movements.
Dr Nina said: "Towards the end of life, patients experience significant fatigue and weakness, and very simple things, such as moving to a chair after getting up, can leave patients feeling exhausted. And because less energy is acquired, it is difficult for patients to regulate the temperature of their bodies, which means that their bodies will be hotter or colder than normal. ”
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="39" > hearing is the last sensation</h1>
In the last few days or hours of life, the patient's breathing will become shallower or deeper, while also becoming irregular, and the pulse may suddenly pause for a few seconds or a minute or two. Dr Nina said: "This phenomenon usually scares the family members who are accompanying them, but in fact these phenomena are due to the decline of physical function and usually do not make the patient feel uncomfortable. ”
At the last moment of death, some people make a special sound - the deathbed throat. The appearance of this sound is due to the inability of the patient to cough up or swallow secretions that accumulate in the chest or throat. To eliminate this sound, the patient's family will often change the patient's bedridden position, use an instrument to suck out the secretions in their throats, or ask the doctor to provide some drugs that can eliminate the secretions.
Hearing is the patient's last feeling before dying. As the patient's consciousness drifts away, they are still able to respond to sounds, especially familiar ones. Therefore, constantly talking to the patient before death may reduce the patient's inner fear and physical pain.
[Science of the Singularity is the copyright partner of Science Illustrated, a classic European popular science magazine, focusing on reporting exciting cutting-edge technological advances and allowing readers to see the future in advance.] 】
Resources
[1]https://www.livescience.com/42955-what-happens-when-you-die.html