Dying process in the human body
According to palliative medical practitioners, the dying process is in many cases perceived as peaceful by those affected. As a rule, the last days of life are spent in a state of introspection and the body slowly begins to shut down organ functions. These signs can often look very painful or frightening for relatives, but this appearance can be cloudy.
This makes it all the more important to develop an understanding of the various processes in the dying body so that one can accept them and understand that they are part of the natural dying process. In the days before death many people are very withdrawn and the body slowly starts to stop its metabolic functions. This is expressed by the fact that the affected persons often do not want to eat or drink anything anymore.
It does not make sense to try to get them to do so anyway, as this would only represent a further burden for the person concerned. The diminished organ function and the resulting reduced blood circulation is manifested by the whitening and cooling of the extremities and in the face by the so-called Facies hippocratica. The face appears emaciated, the cheeks and eyes sunken, the nose appears very pointed, the skin becomes cold and a reduced facial expression can be observed.
Some patients also show a strong motor restlessness in the last few days and, for example, often start to turn in bed. Due to the reduced function of the kidneys and the gastrointestinal tract, the excretion of metabolic waste products is often very reduced and the body slowly begins to poison itself, which is associated with clouding of consciousness and tiredness, but also sometimes with itching and nausea. The breathing of the dying person becomes increasingly irregular and shallow.
It can also lead to gasping and rattling, which is perceived as torturous by outsiders, but often not by the affected person himself. The rattling is due to the fact that dying persons have greatly reduced the swallowing function and mucus accumulates in the airways. Eventually the heart also begins to limit its function.
The blood pressure and heart rate decrease. This process is progressive and ends in cardiac arrest (and finally in cardiac death). Due to the interrupted oxygen supply, the nerve cells of the brain begin to die after about five minutes, which leads to so-called brain death. The patient is now clinically dead.
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