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Topics: Health
Britt Jones
The process of dying is complex, and you might not recognise the signs until it’s around the corner.
According to Verywell, the symptoms of death begin some 40 days before as the person moves to the end-of-life stage.
Around 90 to 40 days before death, it begins slowly and subtly, where it could be mistaken for being run down or being generally unwell.
At this point, you could find that your appetite is slowing down and so is your thirst.
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You might be sleeping more and more and losing weight too.
Mentally, you could be experiencing euphoria thanks to natural changes in body chemistry, and speaking about death more openly.
While men tend to talk about this less as they don’t want to be seen as ‘needy’, women generally are more prone to begin talking about their end-of-life wishes and their life.
As death approaches, you may begin to withdraw and accept that your life is coming to an end.
This is the time where many people stop accepting visitors and interacting with others, as they separate themselves from this world.
However, 1 to 2 weeks before death is where things start to get real.
As the process begins to speed up, it can be a scary time for a loved one watching on.
At this point, a person might say that they see a loved one who has passed away and talk in riddles.
At this time, a person is showing obvious signs of shutting down.
For example, they might need a lot of help to do daily tasks.
They could find it hard to swallow medication, they could have cold hands and feet due to their lower body temperature and decreased blood pressure.
They might also have an irregular pulse, increased sweating, and their lips, nails and skin could take on a blue hue.
Nausea, constipation, incontinence are all common signs that death is approaching too, and they might have sudden jerks in their arms or legs or suffer from a cough and rattling breathing.
During the last week of your life, you could be confused, have altered senses and experience delusions.
You might be sleeping most of the day away and having hallucinations when you’re awake.
At this point, you’ll be restless and find that you’re aimless in your movements.
Just before you die, you could experience a surge of energy where you think, look and feel great.
You might call everyone over and give them words of wisdom, tell everyone about an epiphany you’ve just had and want to get up and get active.
While this looks like you’re getting better, it’s only gearing you up for the ultimate energy crash- death.
When this is over, you’ll feel worse than ever, and will become unresponsive, before finally passing away.
The days and hours before death are obvious, with many people believing there’s a certain look that comes with an imminently dying person.
But being surrounded by healthcare professionals and family can make this scary experience a little more comfortable.