Common Signs that Death is Near

How can you tell if death is about to occur for a critically ill patient? According to About.com, the following are physical signs that indicate the time of death is approaching.

• Major changes in respiratory health, buildup of fluid in the lungs, congestion, longer periods of sleep, and abnormal breathing patterns such as cycles of slow then fast breathing.
• Difficulties swallowing liquids or the resistance of all food and drink.
• Increased difficulty waking subject from sleeping, the inability to arouse them at all, or a coma-like state.
• Subject is unresponsive or cannot speak.
• Subject does not move for long periods of time.
• The extremities—hands, feet, arms and legs—feel very cold to touch. Subject may say that they are numb or cannot feel at all.
• Mottling of the arms, legs, hands and feet, giving a blue or purple splotchy appearance to the skin.
• Decrease in urination with urine darkening in color or changing colors.
• Urinary or bowel incontinence.
• A continued drop in blood pressure to 20 to 30 points below normal range or a systolic pressure below 70 with a diastolic below 50 points.
• Loss of hearing, feeling, smell, taste or sight at the final stage.
• Marked changes in personality, acting wildly, severe agitation or hallucinations.
• Patient states that he or she is going to die soon. Before my uncle Edmond passed in 2001, he told us that he would not be here after the 28th of December. He went into a coma and fulfilled his own prophecy.
• Reports seeing deceased loved ones, Jesus, patron saints, or angels. Since this is the only thing on our list that has nothing to do with a bodily function, I’d like to address it in a little more detail later on.

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For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife.
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