“We are made to die, just as we are made to be born. The more we understand it, the better we live, the more serenely we will face death »: according to Julie McFadden, a hospice nurse and Los Angeles trainer, the end of life must not be a mystery. On the other hand, different studies show that we learn more about death, the lower the anxiety we feel at the thought of getting there. Al GuardianMcFadden told what happens to the human body in the last days of life: in an era when talking about death is still afraid, “alphabetization on death” can help reduce anguish and face the end with more serenity.
Death is not a medical failure. It is a process of the body, how to give birth, to go to the bathroom or toss. Each death is unique because it depends on age, state of health and its causes, but unless they have suffered accidents or traumatic events, Most people will cross certain stages and show typical symptoms.
For example, in the days preceding death, a person tends to eat and drink less, to sleep much more, not to get out of bed. It can become confused, it can also start delusing. Breathing slows down gradually until it changes in a characteristic way, producing the so -called “death range”. But let’s proceed in order.
The transition phase
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According to Mcfadden, the transition phase can begin even months before death. The patient spends more time in bed, eats and drinks less and needs more help For daily needs, such as dressing or going to the bathroom. During this phase, following the conversations becomes difficult and sleep occupies most of his day.
This phase is particularly difficult to distinguish in those with diseases such as Parkinson’s or dementia, since the symptoms overlap, making it difficult to understand if it is the evolution of the disease or approaching death.
Impri, specialist in tanatology (the study of death and dying), adds that in this phase there is often a sort of “detachment from the world”: The perception of time can vanish and the senses begin to muffle. Vista, hearing, taste, smell and touch are no longer intense as before.
The body, reducing food and liquids, enters a state called ketosis, in which fats burning instead of sugars to produce energy. Some people can experience pain relief or a sort of euphoria, perhaps linked to the increase in a neurotransmitterthe GABA (gamma-aminobutirrico acid, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central human nervous system, which helps to calm the brain, reducing neural activity), and a decrease in cortisolthe stress hormone.
The “active death”
The final phase, called “Active death”, starts a few days before the end. The person is mostly unconscious, e breathing and heartbeat make themselves irregular. If these symptoms become too intense and cause discomfort, the intervention of a music therapist could be useful, which with instruments such as harp and voice helps to calm the patient, “anchoring” the body to the rhythms of music and slowing down the physiological chaos.
A surprising recovery
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In this phase, About a third of people experiences a surprising and sudden recovery of lucidity. For a few hours or for a few days, he recalls faces and names of his loved ones, he wants his favorite foods, returns for a moment to the personality of all time. “There is no definitive scientific explanation,” says Imperi, “but it’s a beautiful gift”.
During active death, It is common to have visions or hallucinations, often of dear people already disappeared. Many say they have to prepare the suitcase or wait for someone who comes to pick them up.
The “Rantolo of death”
The last physical sign is Cheyne-Stakes’s breath, which has an irregular rhythm with frantic breaths followed by prolonged breaks. This prevents swallowing Muco and saliva, which accumulate in the throat producing the characteristic “ram of death”. Even if it may seem a disturbing sound, McFadden reassures: “The patient does not hurt, just like most of the active death process”. And how do you understand? “A person who is dying is like a child,” concludes the nurse. “He cannot say if he is hungry or pain, but from his behavior we understand if something is wrong.”
McFaddd adds that those who are dying and their families often find relief in knowing what to expect. “We don’t know exactly what happens after the death, but We know enough of the process that leads to death to help people feel less scared».
Because, as Imperi says, “the greatest problem of death is to lose control, but the education on death can help to resume it, at least a little”.
Source: Vanity Fair
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