Death is a subject many of us avoid discussing, but it’s a part of life that we all have to face at some point. Sometimes, the more you know about a certain subject, the less frightening it becomes. 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 — whether from sickness or old age — there are certain signs. These signs include slowed breathing, a drop or weakening of the heart rate, a drop in blood pressure, and a change in skin color, says Zachary Palace, MD, the medical director of the Hebrew Home at Riverdale, part of RiverSpring Living in Riverdale, New York. This process, and the order in which the symptoms occur, may be a little different for everyone.
“In general, in the time leading up to death, usually the person will become pale because of a drop in blood pressure,” he says. “The fingers may get cold or turn blue. If you feel the pulse, it will be weak, and then they start to develop an irregular type of breathing, and that’s a sign that things are pretty ominous.”
2. When Breathing Slows, Death Is Likely Near
Dr. Palace explains that there may be gaps between breaths, during which it seems like the person has stopped breathing for 15 to 20 seconds. He says families often worry at this point, but he assures them it’s a normal part of the dying process.
3. There Are 2 Stages of Death
While it’s sometimes possible to resuscitate people during clinical death, it is not possible during biological death.
4. CPR Isn’t Always as Effective as It Is on TV
5. Hearing May Be the Last Sense to Go
6. You May Urinate and Defecate
When we’re alive, our brain is constantly sending signals to tell different parts of our body what to do. At death, these signals stop, and our muscles mostly relax. “The neck of the bladder and the sphincter are in a constant state of contraction, so when there’s no more neural signals to the bladder or bowels, then they relax,” Palace says. “So it’s not uncommon just after death for urine to come pouring out or for someone to defecate.”
7. Morphine Is Used Only to Ease the Pain Associated With Passing
Palace says the biggest misconception he hears is that morphine is given to patients to induce death. He says this couldn’t be further from the truth. “Obviously, physician-assisted suicide is not legal in most states, so morphine is not given to help hasten the end,” he says.
When people are dying, Palace explains, blood pressure drops and less oxygen gets to their organs. The body responds by gasping for air in a futile attempt to increase the respiratory rate. Doctors refer to this as air hunger. “That gasping is very difficult for families to see, as it obviously looks painful, and that’s where the role of morphine comes in,” Palace says. “The proper dose of morphine relieves the sense of air hunger, so they’re breathing more calmly and more comfortably.”
8. The Body as a Whole May Be Dead, but Certain Parts Within Are Still Alive
9. There May Be a Scientific Explanation to the Notion of Your Life Flashing Before Your Eyes
When a person dies in a movie or television show, it’s a common trope that they see memories from different periods of their life flash before them. It turns out there may be some scientific truth to this phenomenon. In one study, researchers described a case report of a dying man who appeared to experience a sudden flash of memory mere seconds before his heart stopped.
10. Consciousness May Continue After Death
Researchers have long been trying to understand what happens to the mind after death. One study of cardiac arrest patients may provide some answers. The research included more than 550 patients from U.S. and British hospitals who received CPR after their hearts stopped beating. Fewer than 10 percent of those studied recovered, but of these survivors, 4 out of 10 recalled some degree of consciousness during CPR.
The Takeaway
- Some causes of death are instant, but when someone dies due to old age or illness, the signs develop over time, such as changes to the skin’s color and a dropping heart rate.
- There are two stages of death: clinical death, when the heart stops; and biological death, which occurs four to six minutes later, when the brain cells start to die.
- Lesser-known facts about death include the fact that CPR is not as effective as it is on TV, hearing may be the last sense to go, and you may urinate or defecate just after death.
- There may be scientific evidence to support notions about life flashing before your eyes and consciousness continuing after death.
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