Wet before dying. Does everyone have that feeling? Visual and auditory hallucinations

Death is a topic that causes fear, sympathy, experience and pain in people. At the same time, sooner or later everyone will have to face it. If there is a hopelessly ill person with oncology in the house, after a stroke, paralyzed or an old person, relatives are interested in what are the symptoms and harbingers of impending care, how the dying person behaves. It is important to know what happens when the end of life comes, what to say to a loved one at death, how to help and what to do to alleviate his suffering. This will help mentally and physically prepare for the death of a bedridden patient.

How people feel and how they behave before death

When a person dies, they feel inner sorrow. He is tormented, his soul shrinks from the inside at the thought that the end is near. A dying person necessarily undergoes changes in the functioning of the body. This manifests itself emotionally and physically. Often the dying person becomes withdrawn and does not want to see anyone, falls into depression, loses interest in life.

It's hard to watch these close people. It is clearly seen how the loss of the soul by the body occurs, while there is no need to become a psychic. The symptoms of death are pronounced.

The patient sleeps a lot, refuses to eat. At the same time, global failures occur in the work of vital organs and systems.

Before death, a person may feel a sense of relief, especially for cancer patients. He seems to be getting better. Relatives notice an uplifting mood, a smile on their faces.

However, after some time, the state changes dramatically in the worst side. Soon the bedridden patient is waiting for the relaxation of the body. The functions of the organs of the body will sharply weaken. After that, the process of dying begins.

As for the care of older people (grandparents), the feelings before death will be different from those that are inherent in people suffering from, say, cancer of the 4th degree. Scientists argue that the older a person is, the less afraid of dying, although the number of factors from which he can die increases. Some even want to bring death closer so that their loved ones do not see how he suffers. Before death, the elderly have indifference, discomfort, and sometimes pain. Every 20 people have a spiritual uplift.

How a person dies: signs

The approach of death is understood by clearly manifested signs. From them you can determine what death looks like, how death happens.

Changing sleep patterns

Many are interested in what it means if old man sleeps a lot. The last weeks of life of oncological and other seriously ill, dying old people devote a lot of time to sleep. It's not just that there is a strong weakness and fatigue. People lose strength very quickly, it is difficult for them to get out of sleep, in which it becomes easier physically, pain and discomfort decrease.

Therefore, in those who will soon die, after awakening and in the state of wakefulness, an inhibited reaction is noted.

Weakness and drowsiness cause all metabolic processes slow down in the body. Against this background, there are difficulties with the fulfillment of physiological needs.

Weakness

Another sign that means the onset of the death of a person is weakness. We are talking about severe exhaustion, accompanied by loss of body weight, chronic fatigue. The situation comes to the point that a person tends to lie down, loses the ability to stand on his feet, do elementary things: roll over in bed, hold a spoon, and so on.

In cancer patients, this symptom is associated with intoxication of the body and the development of necrosis - the death of tissues affected by cancer cells.

The nose is pointed

Before an imminent death, the nose is pointed - this is one of the secondary signs. It means death native person close. Among the ancestors, when the nose is extended or pointed, it was said that the dying person put on a “mask of death”.

The patient, who has only a few hours left, falls into the eyes, temples. The ears become cold and lethargic, the tips turn forward.

The face before death is symmetrical, the skin acquires a grayish or yellowish tint. Changes are also noted on the forehead. The skin in this area is stretched and becomes rough.

sense organs

Before death, a person loses the ability to hear. This is due to sharp drop pressure to the minimum. Therefore, instead of the usual sounds, he hears a squeak, loud ringing, extraneous sounds. Critical indicators, at what pressure death occurs, indicators of 50 to 20 millimeters of mercury are considered.

The organs of vision also undergo changes. A dying person before his death hides his eyes from the light. The organs of vision are very watery, and mucus accumulates in the corners. Proteins turn red, and the vessels in them turn white. Often doctors observe a situation where the right eye is different in size from the left. The organs of vision may sink.

At night, when a person is sleeping, the eyes may be open. If this happens constantly, then the organs of vision should be treated with moisturizing ointments or drops.

If the pupils are open during the night's rest, the eyelids and the skin around the eyes are pale yellowish. This shade goes to the forehead, nasolabial triangle(triangle of death), which indicates the imminent death of a person. Especially when these signs are combined with deafness and blindness.

A dying person has impaired tactile sensations. A few hours before death, they practically disappear. A person does not feel the touch of loved ones, he can hear extraneous sounds, visions often appear. According to relatives who watched the dying loved one, most often hallucinations are associated with dead people. At the same time, a long dialogue takes place between them.

If a person sees dead relatives, one should not think that he has gone mad. Relatives should support him and not deny the connection with the other world. This is useless and may offend the dying person, who may find it easier to accept his own departure in this way.

Refusal to eat

If the patient stopped eating, does not drink water, this period is the most difficult for relatives. He indicates that the end is near. The metabolism of a dying person slows down. The reason is the constant stay in lying down. The body ceases to receive the necessary correct operation nutritional elements. He begins to expend his own resources - fat. That is why relatives note that the dying man has lost a lot of weight.

Man cannot live long without food. If the dying person cannot swallow, doctors prescribe the use of special probes to deliver food to the gastrointestinal tract. Glucose and a complex of vitamins are also prescribed.

If a person refuses food, do not force him. This way you can only do harm. It is enough to give him small portions of water. If he refuses her, then relatives should at least lubricate her lips with it to prevent the formation of cracks.

"Collects" himself

A sign means the desire of dying people to straighten their blankets, clothes, straighten them. Some doctors and relatives say that a person moves his hands around him, as if clearing the body and space from non-existent straws and threads. Some try to throw off the cover or use gestures to ask others to take off their clothes.

There was a sign among the ancestors: if a terminally ill person begins to “rob himself”, he will soon die. And before leaving, he tries to return to a state of purity, to free the body from everything superfluous and unnecessary.

Temporary improvement

If a person feels that the condition is improving, relatives should understand that it may indicate the approach of death. In medicine, this phenomenon is called "death improvement" or "neurochemical oscillation." Until now, numerous studies are being carried out on this subject. Doctors still can't figure out the real reason. given state. Therefore, many believe that otherworldly forces are involved in this. The phenomenon is more often observed in patients with cancer.

The body always fights the disease to the last, spending all its strength and resources on this. Before his death, he works at full strength. At the same time, other functions weaken - motor, motor, etc.

When the body's strength runs out, its protection is turned off. At the same time, the functions are activated. The person becomes active, mobile, talkative.

AT medical practice there were cases when a person who had been lying in bed for a long time wanted to get up, go out into the street, but after a few hours death occurred.

Stool and urinary disorders

If a seriously ill person does not pass urine, this is due to the fact that the supply of water is reduced or completely absent, with malfunctions in the filtration function of the kidneys. Violation causes a change in color, a decrease in the amount of biological fluid. Urine acquires dark yellow, brown, reddish hues. It contains great amount toxins that poison the body.

At one point, the kidneys may stop functioning. And if you do not give the patient ambulance, in the near future he expects a fatal outcome.

A person who is near death is very weak and unable to control urination on his own. Therefore, the way for him to go to the toilet and not burden his relatives once again is to purchase diapers or a duck.

Difficulty emptying at the end of life bladder, problems with intestines join. Involuntary cleansing occurs due to the inability to go big on your own.

Sometimes people in whose house a seriously ill or elderly person dies believe that constipation is normal. However, the accumulation of feces in the intestines and their hardening lead to abdominal pain, from which a person suffers even more. If he does not go to the toilet for 2 days, in this case, they turn to the doctor to prescribe mild laxatives.

Strong drugs with a laxative effect should not be given to the patient. This leads to another problem - liquid stool, diarrhea.

thermoregulation

Those who cared for the seriously ill, focus on the fact that before death they were sweating all the time. The fact is that a violation of thermoregulation is a sign of approaching death. The dying person's body temperature rises, then it drops sharply. The extremities become cold, the skin becomes pale or yellow, a rash appears in the form of cadaveric spots.

This process is easy to explain. The fact is that with the approaching death of brain cells, neurons gradually die off. The turn comes to those departments that are responsible for thermoregulation in the body.

When high temperature the skin is treated with a damp towel. The doctor also prescribes medicines that are effective in relieving fever.

These drugs will not only reduce body temperature, but also stop pain.

If the patient due to lack swallowing reflex cannot take medicine, it is better for relatives to purchase them in the form rectal suppositories or in injection form. So active ingredient absorbed into the blood much faster.

Blurred consciousness and memory problems

There is a mental breakdown due to pathological work some parts of the brain and other vital organs. Due to hypoxia, lack nutrients, refusing food and water, another reality is imagined and presented to a person.

In this state, the dying person can say something, mutter something, be lost in space and time. This causes fear among relatives. However, shouting, disturbing him should not be. Failure in the functions of the brain gradually leads to their extinction, which causes clouding of the mind.

Confusion can be reduced by bending over the patient and saying the name in a low voice. If he does not come to his senses for a long time, then the doctor usually prescribes lungs sedatives. Relatives of a dying person should prepare for the fact that when they are in a delirium, awareness of the approach of death may not happen.

Often there are periods of "enlightenment". Relatives understand that this is not an improvement in the condition, but a sign of approaching death.

If the patient is unconscious all the time, then the only thing that relatives can do is whisper words of farewell to him. He will definitely hear them. Such withdrawal in an unconscious state or in a dream is considered the most painless death.

Brain reactions: hallucinations

When dying, global changes occur in the brain regions. First of all, its cells begin to gradually die off due to oxygen starvation- hypoxia. Often in the process of their death, a person experiences hallucinations - auditory, tactile, visual.

An interesting study was conducted by Californian scientists. The results were published in 1961. Surveillance was carried out for 35,500 dying.

Most often, people's visions were associated with religious concepts and represented heaven and paradise. Others saw beautiful landscapes, rare fauna and flora. Still others talked to dead relatives and asked them to open the gates of paradise.

The finding of the study was that the nature of the hallucinations was not related to:

• with the form of the disease;
• age;
• religious preferences;
• individual characteristics;
• education;
• intelligence level.

Observations have shown that the death of a person goes through 3 stages:

• resistance- awareness of danger, fear, desire to fight for life;
• memories- fear disappears, pictures from the past flash in the subconscious;
• transcendence- that which is beyond the mind and senses is sometimes referred to as cosmic consciousness.

Venous spots

venous, or cadaveric spots- areas of the body that are saturated with blood. Occur before the death of a person, when dying and within a few hours after death. Outwardly, the areas resemble bruises - only extensive in area.

At first they have a grayish-yellowish tint, then they turn blue with a dark purple tint. After death (after 2-4 hours), the skin stops turning blue. The color turns gray again.

Venous spots form due to blockage of blood circulation. This causes the blood circulating in the circulatory system to slow down and sink down due to gravity. For this reason, the venous region of the bloodstream overflows. Blood shines through the skin, as a result, it becomes clear that its areas have turned blue.

Edema

Appear on the bottom and upper limbs. Usually accompanied by the formation of venous spots. Occur due to a global violation or cessation of kidney function. If a person has cancer, then the urinary system cannot cope with toxins. Fluid accumulates in the feet and hands. This is a sign that a person is dying.

wheezing

The death rattle resembles crackling, murmuring, blowing air out of the lungs through a straw to the bottom of a mug filled with water. The symptom is intermittent, a bit like hiccups. On average, 16 hours pass from the onset of this phenomenon to the onset of death. Some patients die within 6 hours.

Wheezing is a sign of swallowing dysfunction. The tongue stops pushing saliva, and it flows down respiratory tract entering the lungs. A death rattle is an attempt by the lungs to breathe through saliva. It is worth noting that the dying at this moment does not hurt.

To stop wheezing, the doctor will prescribe drugs that reduce the production of saliva.

Predagony

Predagonia - defensive reaction vital body systems. Represents:

• malfunctions nervous system;
• confusion, slow reaction;
• drop in blood pressure;
• tachycardia followed by bradycardia;
• deep and rapid breathing, alternating with rare and superficial;
• increased heart rate;
• the acquisition of skin of various shades - at first she turned pale, turned yellow, then turned blue;
• the appearance of convulsions, convulsions.

This condition often proceeds slowly from several hours to one day.

death agony

Start with short breaths or one deep. Further, the rate of breathing increases. The lungs do not have time to ventilate. Gradually, breathing comes to naught. At the same time, a complete blockage of the nervous system occurs. On the this stage pulse is present only on carotid arteries. The person is in an unconscious state.

In agony, the dying person rapidly loses weight. This phenomenon ends with cardiac arrest and the onset of clinical death. The period of agony lasts from 3 minutes to half an hour.

How Long to Live: Watching the Dying

Predict exact time death is almost impossible.

Signs indicating that a person has only a few minutes left before the end of his life:

• Change in lifestyle, daily routine, behavior. it early signs. Occur several months before death.
• Perceptual disturbance. Occurs 3-4 weeks before death.
• 3-4 weeks before death, people eat poorly, they lose their appetite, they cannot swallow (a few days before they die).
• Brain dysfunction. Happens in 10 days.
• A person sleeps more and stays awake less. When death is near, he is in a dream for days. Such people do not live long. They have a few days.
• In most cases, 60-72 hours before death, a person is delirious, his mind is confused, he does not reflect reality. Can talk to dead people.

Symptoms that indicate the process of dying a person.

• Shortly before death, black vomiting is noted. AT last hours life of the patient can urinate or empty the intestines. If a biological fluid blackened - this indicates bleeding and is often observed in cancer patients.
• The cornea becomes cloudy.
• The lower jaw droops, the mouth is open.
• The pulse is too slow or not palpable.
• The pressure becomes minimal.
• The temperatures jump.
• There is noisy breathing, wheezing.
• shrink at the time of death pectoral muscles. Therefore, it may seem to relatives that the person continues to breathe.
• Convulsions, convulsions, foaming at the mouth.
• The extremities become cold, the legs and arms swell, the skin becomes covered with cadaveric spots.

Symptoms of clinical and biological death

Death occurs with an irreversible disruption of the vital systems of the body, followed by a stoppage of functioning. individual bodies and fabrics.

Most often, people die due to illness, injuries incompatible with life, drug addicts from an overdose potent substances, alcoholics from toxic poisoning organism. People rarely die of old age. Those who died from severe injuries, accidents experience a quick death and do not feel distressing symptoms experienced by sick people.

After the death of a person, an autopsy is necessarily carried out. This solves the question of how to find out the cause of death.

After the agony comes clinical death. The period how long the body lives after its onset is 4-6 minutes (until the cells of the cerebral cortex die), during which time it is possible to help a person.

The main symptoms of clinical death.

• There are no signs of life.
• convulsions. noted involuntary urination, ejaculation, defecation due to severe muscle spasm.
• Agony breathing. 15 seconds after death, the chest is still moving. The so-called agonal breathing continues. The deceased breathes rapidly and shallowly, sometimes wheezing, foaming at the mouth.
• No pulse.
• No pupillary reaction to light. It is the main sign of the onset of clinical death.

If resuscitation measures are not started within 4-6 minutes, a person biological death at which the organism is considered dead.

It is characterized by symptoms:

How to help

• It is believed that hiding information about the allotted time should not be. Perhaps the patient wants to see someone or visit old friends, colleagues.
• If it is difficult for a dying person to come to terms with the inevitability of the end, and he believes that he will recover, there is no need to convince him. It is important to support and encourage him, not to start a conversation about last wishes and parting words.
• If relatives cannot cope with emotions, then it is better to connect a psychotherapist, a psychologist. A difficult test for a dying person is a manifestation of cowardice and grief of loved ones.
• Helping the dying is to reduce the physical and moral suffering of the patient.

  It is important to pre-purchase the necessary medications to alleviate the condition, supportive means. First of all, it concerns painkillers for cancer patients. Often getting a prescription for narcotic substances for a patient is not an easy task.

• The involvement of palliative services is recommended to smooth out the symptoms of diseases.
• Perhaps the dying person will want to talk to the priest from the church so that he forgives sins.
• If a person who is dying wants to discuss death, it is imperative to keep the conversation going. The realization of the approach of one's death is a heavy feeling. It is not necessary to distract the patient, otherwise he will withdraw into himself, plunge into loneliness and fears.
• If the patient insists on limiting contacts, you do not need to refuse him.
• If the dying person is ready and wants, you can discuss the funeral with him or draw up a will. It is advisable to offer to write a letter to the one with whom he would like to say goodbye. Let him indicate parting words or advice in the news.
• Execution Recommended cherished desire. The dying are asked to give medicines, clothes, books, records and other things to needy or loved ones.
• It is important not to forget to give more time to a person who is dying. Do not pay attention to the clouding of the mind, that he talks, sometimes drives away loved ones. Perhaps in the latter case, he wants to be alone with himself or does not want to show his torment and pain.
• You don’t need to tell the dying that you will grieve, miss, you can’t imagine life without him. But if you plan to plant a tree in his memory, you can tell the person about it.

What do they say in this situation?

When communicating with a dying person, you do not need to take the lead in the conversation. It is better to ask for advice, parting words. Feel free to ask, thank, remember best moments how good it was to talk about love, that this is not the end, and everyone will meet in better world. Be sure to say that he is forgiven for everything.

Tactile contact is essential. The patient must feel that he is not alone at the approach of death.

Condolences are expressed to the relatives of the deceased, while it is advisable to avoid pathos phrases. It is better to say sincerely and simply how heavy the loss is, to name best qualities person. It is recommended to indicate your participation, offer assistance in organizing the funeral, moral support.

How to Prepare for Death

It is impossible to be prepared for the loss of a loved one. However, some preparations will help ease the difficult period.

• Funeral planning. It is advisable to think in which church to hold the funeral, in which cemetery to carry out burial or where to cremate, where to invite people to the wake.
• If a person is a believer, it is recommended to talk with the priest, invite him to the dying, learn about actions after the death of a loved one.
• The dying person does not need to communicate his assumptions about the funeral, if he does not ask about it. Otherwise, it may look like a desire to hasten the end of life.
• Be prepared for a difficult emotional period, do not suppress feelings, give yourself the right to grieve. Take sedatives, visit a psychotherapist.

Do not blame anyone for the death of a loved one, accept and reconcile. It is important to remember that prolonged sorrow, grief and self-torment will not give the soul peace and will draw it back to the earth.

It is not customary to talk about death out loud in our time. This is a very touchy subject and not for the faint of heart. But there are times when knowledge is very useful, especially if there is an elderly person with cancer or a bedridden person at home. After all, it helps to mentally prepare for the inevitable end and notice the changes taking place in time. Let's discuss the signs of death of the patient together and pay attention to their key features.
Most often, signs of imminent death are classified into primary and secondary. Some develop as a consequence of others. It is logical that if a person began to sleep more, then he eats less, etc. We will consider all of them. But, cases may be different and exceptions to the rules are acceptable. Same as normal median survival variants even with symbiosis terrible signs changes in the patient's condition. This is a kind of miracle that happens at least once in a century.

What are the signs of death?

Changing sleep and wake patterns
discussing, initial signs approaching death, doctors agree that the patient has less and less time to stay awake. He is often immersed in superficial sleep and as if dozing. This saves precious energy and less pain is felt. The latter fades into the background, becoming, as it were, background. Of course, the emotional side suffers greatly. The paucity of expressing one's feelings, the isolation in oneself, the desire to be silent more than to speak, leave an imprint on relationships with others. There is no desire to ask and answer any questions, to be interested in everyday life and people around.
As a result, in advanced cases patients become apathetic and withdrawn. They sleep almost 20 hours a night if not acute pain and serious irritants. Unfortunately, this imbalance threatens stagnant processes, mental problems and accelerates death.

puffiness

Edema appears on the lower extremities

Very reliable signs of death are swelling and the presence of spots on the legs and arms. It is a malfunction of the kidneys and circulatory system. In the first case, with oncology, the kidneys do not have time to cope with toxins and they poison the body. At the same time, metabolic processes are disturbed, blood is redistributed unevenly in the vessels, forming areas with spots. It is not for nothing that they say that if such marks appear, then we are talking of complete limb dysfunction.

Hearing, vision, perception problems

The first signs of death are changes in hearing, vision and normal feeling happening around. Such changes may be in the background severe pain, oncological lesions, stagnation of blood or tissue death. Often, before death, a phenomenon with pupils can be observed. The eye pressure drops and you can see how the pupil deforms like a cat when you press it.
Hearing is all relative. He can recover in last days life or even escalate, but this is already more agony.

Decreased need for food

Deterioration of appetite and sensitivity - signs of imminent death

When a cancer patient is at home, all relatives notice signs of death. She gradually refuses food. First, the dose is reduced from a plate to a quarter of a saucer, and then the swallowing reflex gradually disappears. There is a need for nutrition through a syringe or tube. In half of the cases, a system with glucose and vitamin therapy is connected. But the effectiveness of such support is very low. The body is trying to use up its own fat stores and minimize waste. From this, the general condition of the patient worsens, drowsiness and shortness of breath appear.
Urination disorders and problems with natural needs
It is believed that problems with going to the toilet are also signs of approaching death. No matter how ridiculous it may seem, but in reality there is a completely logical chain in this. If defecation is not carried out every two days or with the regularity to which a person is accustomed, then stool accumulate in the intestine. Even stones can form. As a result, toxins are absorbed from them, which seriously poison the body and reduce its performance.
Roughly the same story with urination. The kidneys are harder to work. They pass less and less fluid and as a result, urine comes out saturated. In her high concentration acids and even blood is noted. For relief, a catheter can be installed, but this is not a panacea against the general background. unpleasant consequences for a bedridden patient.

Problems with thermoregulation

Weakness is a sign of imminent death

Natural signs before the death of the patient are a violation of thermoregulation and agony. The extremities begin to get very cold. Especially if the patient has paralysis, then we can even talk about the progress of the disease. The circle of blood circulation is reduced. The body fights for life and tries to maintain the efficiency of the main organs, thereby depriving the limbs. They can turn pale and even become cyanotic with venous spots.

Weakness of the body

signs imminent death everyone can be different depending on the situation. But more often than not, it's about great weakness, weight loss and general fatigue. There is a period of self-isolation, which is aggravated internal processes intoxication and necrosis. The patient cannot even raise his arm or stand up for natural needs duck. The process of urination and defecation can occur spontaneously and even unconsciously.

Clouded mind

Many see signs of impending death and in the way normal reaction sick on the world. He can become aggressive, nervous, or vice versa - very passive. Memory disappears and attacks of fear on this basis may be noted. The patient does not immediately understand what is happening and who is nearby. In the brain, the areas responsible for thinking die off. And there may be obvious inadequacy.

Predagony

This is a protective reaction of all vital systems in the body. Often, it is expressed in the onset of stupor or coma. The main role is played by the regression of the nervous system, which causes in the future:
- decreased metabolism
- insufficient ventilation of the lungs due to respiratory failures or alternating rapid breathing with a stop
— serious lesions organ tissues

Agony

Agony is characteristic of last minutes human life

Agony is usually called a clear improvement in the patient's condition against the background of destructive processes in the body. In fact, this is the last effort in order to save necessary functions to continue to exist. It may be noted:
- improved hearing and vision
- adjusting the rhythm of breathing
- normalization of heart beats
- recovery of consciousness in the patient
- muscle activity by type of convulsions
- decreased sensitivity to pain
The agony can last from a few minutes to an hour. Usually, she seems to portend clinical death when the brain is still alive, and oxygen stops flowing into the tissues.
These are typical signs of death in bedridden patients. But don't dwell too much on them. After all, there may be another side of the coin. It happens that one or two of these signs are simply a consequence of the disease, but they are quite reversible with proper care. Even a hopelessly bedridden patient may not have all these signs before death. And this is not an indicator. So, it is difficult to talk about mandatory, as well as to put death sentences.

Unfortunately, after life there is always death. Now science is unable to prevent old age and its inevitable lethal consequences. Relatives and friends of seriously ill patients need to be prepared for this. What does a bedridden patient experience before death? How should caregivers respond to signs of approaching death? We will talk about this below.

Phases of death

There are several phases of a person's condition that occur before his death. Signs of the first stage ("pre-active phase") can begin 2 weeks before the terrible event. During this period, the patient begins to consume less food and liquid than usual, there are pauses in breathing, wound healing worsens, and swelling appears. Also, the patient can claim an imminent death and report that he saw dead people.

Then the following phases follow:

• clinical death (signs of vital activity disappear, but the cells still occur metabolic processes);
• biological death (almost complete cessation physiological processes in the body);
• final death (final phase).

Signs of approaching death

Signs of death in a bedridden patient may be different in each case. There are several main ones:

Certain diseases cause specific symptoms. Thus, the signs of death in a cancer patient are often manifested in the form of pain, nausea, confusion, restlessness and shortness of breath (with a stroke, such symptoms are less common).

It should also be noted that low blood pressure or prolonged respiratory movements(or if the bedridden patient is constantly sleeping) are not reliable indicators of imminent death in all cases. Some patients with these symptoms may recover suddenly and live for a week, a month, or even more. Only God knows when death will come.

How to behave properly with loved ones

What should relatives and friends do if they see signs of approaching death? It is always very difficult to talk to a dying person. There is no need to give false promises and hopes for recovery. Tell the patient that his last wishes will be granted. He should not think that something is being hidden from him. If a person wants to talk about life and its last moments, you need to do this, and not try to hush up the topic and say something distant. Before death, let the patient know that he is not alone, say words of consolation.

×

Fill out the form to get an estimated cost of care
Actual cost may be lower!

Patient weight:

Do I need to do an intramuscular injection?

A person's life path ends with his death. You need to be prepared for this, especially if there is a bed patient in the family. Signs before death will be different for each person. However, observational practice shows that it is still possible to distinguish a number of common symptoms which portend the nearness of death. What are these signs and what should be prepared for?

How does a dying person feel?

A bedridden patient before death, as a rule, experiences mental anguish. In sound consciousness there is an understanding of what is to be experienced. The body goes through certain physical changes, this cannot be overlooked. On the other hand, the emotional background also changes: mood, mental and psychological balance.

Some lose interest in life, others completely close in on themselves, others may fall into a state of psychosis. Sooner or later, the condition worsens, the person feels that he is losing his own dignity, more often he thinks about a quick and easy death, asks for euthanasia. These changes are hard to observe, remaining indifferent. But you will have to come to terms with this or try to alleviate the situation with drugs.

With the approach of death, the patient sleeps more and more, showing apathy towards the outside world. In the last moments, a sharp improvement in the condition may occur, reaching the point that the recumbent for a long time the patient wants to get out of bed. This phase is replaced by the subsequent relaxation of the body with an irreversible decrease in the activity of all body systems and the attenuation of its vital functions.

Bedridden patient: ten signs that death is near

In conclusion life cycle an elderly person or a bedridden patient feels more and more weak and tired due to lack of energy. As a result, he is increasingly in a state of sleep. It can be deep or drowsy, through which voices are heard and the surrounding reality is perceived.

A dying person can see, hear, feel and perceive things that do not actually exist, sounds. In order not to upset the patient, this should not be denied. Loss of orientation and confusion are also possible. The patient is increasingly immersed in himself and loses interest in the reality around him.

Urine due to failure of the kidneys darkens to almost Brown color with a reddish tint. As a result, edema appears. The patient's breathing quickens, it becomes intermittent and unstable. Under pale skin, as a result of a violation of blood circulation, dark “walking” venous spots appear, which change their location.

They usually first appear on the feet. In the last moments, the limbs of a dying person become cold due to the fact that the blood, draining from them, is redirected to more important parts organism.

Failure of life support systems

Distinguish primary signs appearing on initial stage in the body of a dying person, and secondary, indicating the development of irreversible processes.

Symptoms may have outward manifestation or be hidden. Disorders of the gastrointestinal tract How does a bedridden patient react to this? Signs before death, associated with loss of appetite and a change in the nature and volume of food consumed, are manifested by problems with the stool.

Most often, constipation develops against this background. A patient without a laxative or an enema finds it increasingly difficult to empty the bowels. Patients spend the last days of their lives refusing food and water altogether. You shouldn't worry too much about this. It is believed that with dehydration in the body, the synthesis of endorphins and anesthetics increases, which to some extent improve general well-being.

Functional disorders

How does the condition of patients change and how does the bed patient react to this? Signs before death, associated with the weakening of the sphincters, in the last few hours of a person's life are manifested by fecal and urinary incontinence. In such cases, it is necessary to be prepared to provide him hygiene conditions using absorbent underwear, diapers or diapers. Even in the presence of appetite, there are situations when the patient loses the ability to swallow food, and soon water and saliva. This may lead to aspiration. When severely exhausted eyeballs strongly sink, the patient is not able to completely close the eyelids. This has a depressing effect on those around you. If the eyes are constantly open, the conjunctiva needs to be moistened special ointments or saline.

Respiratory and thermoregulatory disorders

What are the symptoms of these changes if the patient is bedridden? Signs before death in a weakened person in an unconscious state are manifested by terminal tachypnea - against the background of frequent respiratory movements, death rattles. This is due to the movement of the mucous secretion in the large bronchi, trachea and pharynx. This condition is quite normal for a dying person and does not cause him suffering. If it is possible to lay the patient on his side, wheezing will be less pronounced.

The beginning of the death of the part of the brain responsible for thermoregulation is manifested by jumps in the patient's body temperature in a critical range. He can feel hot flashes and sudden cold. The extremities are cold, the perspiring skin changes color.

Road to death

Most patients die quietly: gradually losing consciousness, in a dream, falling into a coma. Sometimes it is said about such situations that the patient died on the “usual road”. It is generally accepted that in this case, irreversible neurological processes occur without significant deviations.

Another picture is observed in agonal delirium. The movement of the patient to death in this case will take place along the “difficult road”. Signs before death in a bedridden patient who embarked on this path: psychosis with excessive excitement, anxiety, disorientation in space and time against the background of confusion. If at the same time there is a clear inversion of the wakefulness and sleep cycles, then for the patient's family and relatives such a condition can be extremely difficult.

Delirium with agitation is complicated by a feeling of anxiety, fear, often turning into a need to go somewhere, to run. Sometimes this is speech anxiety, manifested by an unconscious flow of words. The patient in this state can perform only simple actions, not fully understanding what he is doing, how and why. The ability to reason logically is impossible for him.

These phenomena are reversible if the cause of such changes is identified in time and stopped by medical intervention.

Pain

Before death, what symptoms and signs in a bedridden patient indicate physical suffering? As a rule, uncontrolled pain in the last hours of a dying person's life rarely increases. However, it is still possible.

An unconscious patient will not be able to let you know about this. Nevertheless, it is believed that pain in such cases also causes excruciating suffering. A sign of this is usually a tense forehead and deep wrinkles appearing on it.

If, during examination of an unconscious patient, there are assumptions about the presence of a developing pain syndrome The doctor usually prescribes opiates. You should be careful, as they can accumulate and, over time, aggravate already serious condition in connection with the development of excessive overexcitation and convulsions.

Giving help

A bedridden patient before death may experience significant suffering. Relief of symptoms physiological pain can be achieved drug therapy. Mental suffering and psychological discomfort of the patient, as a rule, become a problem for relatives and close family members of the dying.

An experienced doctor at the stage of assessing the general condition of the patient can recognize initial symptoms irreversible pathological changes cognitive processes. First of all, this is: absent-mindedness, perception and understanding of reality, the adequacy of thinking when making decisions. You can also notice violations of the affective function of consciousness: emotional and sensory perception, attitude to life, the relationship of the individual with society.

The choice of methods of alleviating suffering, the process of assessing the chances and possible outcomes in the presence of the patient in some cases, in itself can serve therapeutic agent. This approach gives the patient a chance to really realize that they sympathize with him, but they perceive him as a capable person with the right to vote and choose. possible ways solving the situation.

In some cases, a day or two before the expected death, it makes sense to stop taking certain medications: diuretics, antibiotics, vitamins, laxatives, hormonal and hypertonic drugs. They will only exacerbate suffering, cause inconvenience to the patient. Painkillers, anticonvulsants and antiemetics, tranquilizers should be left.

Communication with a dying person

How to behave relatives, in whose family there is a bed patient? Signs of approaching death can be obvious or conditional. If there are the slightest prerequisites for a negative forecast, it is worth preparing in advance for the worst. Listening, asking, trying to understand the non-verbal language of the patient, you can determine the moment when changes in his emotional and physiological state indicate the imminent approach of death.

Whether the dying person will know about it is not so important. If he realizes and perceives, it alleviates the situation. False promises and vain hopes for his recovery should not be made. It must be made clear that his last will will be fulfilled. The patient should not remain isolated from active affairs.

It is bad if there is a feeling that something is being hidden from him. If a person wants to talk about the last moments of his life, then it is better to do it calmly than to hush up the topic or blame stupid thoughts. A dying person wants to understand that he will not be alone, that he will be taken care of, that suffering will not touch him.

At the same time, relatives and friends need to be ready to show patience and provide all possible assistance. It is also important to listen, let them talk and say words of comfort.

Medical assessment

Is it necessary to tell the whole truth to relatives in whose family there is a bed patient before death? What are the signs of this condition? There are situations when the family of a terminally ill patient, being unaware of his condition, in the hope of changing the situation, spends literally recent savings.

But even the best and most optimistic treatment plan can fail. It will happen that the patient will never get back on his feet, will not return to active life. All efforts will be in vain, spending will be useless.

Family and friends of the patient to provide care in the hope of speedy recovery quit their job and lose their source of income. In an attempt to alleviate suffering, they put the family in a difficult financial situation. Relationship problems arise, unresolved conflicts due to lack of funds, legal issues - all this only aggravates the situation.

Knowing the symptoms of imminent death, seeing irreversible signs physiological changes, experienced doctor must notify the family of the patient. Informed, understanding the inevitability of the outcome, they will be able to focus on providing him with psychological and spiritual support.

Palliative care

Do relatives who have a bed patient need help before death? What symptoms and signs of the patient suggest that she should be treated? Palliative care for the patient is not aimed at prolonging or shortening his life. Its principles affirm the concept of death as a natural and regular process of the life cycle of any person.

However, for patients incurable disease, especially in its progressive stage, when all treatment options have been exhausted, the question of medical and social assistance is raised. First of all, you need to apply for it when the patient is no longer able to conduct active image life or in the family there are no conditions to ensure this. In this case, attention is paid to alleviating the suffering of the patient.

At this stage, not only the medical component is important, but also social adaptation, psychological balance, peace of mind the patient and his family. A dying patient needs not only attention, care and normal living conditions. For him, psychological relief is also important, alleviating the experiences associated, on the one hand, with the inability to self-service, and on the other, with the realization of the fact of the imminent imminent death.

Prepared nurses and doctors in palliative clinics know the subtleties of the art of alleviating such suffering and can provide significant assistance to terminally ill people.

Predictors of death according to scientists

What to expect for relatives who have a bed patient in the family? Symptoms of the approaching death of a person "eaten" cancerous tumor, documented by clinic staff palliative care.

According to observations, not all patients showed obvious changes in the physiological state. A third of them did not show symptoms or their recognition was conditional. But in the majority of terminally ill patients, three days before death, a marked decrease in the response to verbal stimulation could be noted. They did not respond to simple gestures and did not recognize the facial expressions of the personnel communicating with them.

The “smile line” in such patients was omitted, an unusual sounding of the voice (grunting of the ligaments) was observed. Some patients also had hyperextension neck muscles(increased relaxation and mobility of the vertebrae), non-reactive pupils were observed, patients could not close their eyelids tightly. From explicit functional disorders bleeding was diagnosed gastrointestinal tract(in upper divisions).

According to scientists, the presence of half or more of these signs can highly likely testify to an unfavorable prognosis for the patient and his sudden death.

Bedridden patient: how to recognize the signs of impending death?

Relatives of a dying patient at home should be aware of what they may encounter in the last days, hours, moments of his life. It is impossible to accurately predict the moment of death and how everything will happen.

Not all of the symptoms and symptoms described above may be present before the death of a bedridden patient. The stages of dying, like the processes of the origin of life, are individual. No matter how hard it is for relatives, you need to remember that it is even more difficult for a dying person.

Close people need to be patient and provide the dying person as much as possible. possible conditions, moral support and attention and care. Death is an inevitable outcome of the life cycle and cannot be changed.

<...>Yuri Dudnik

We all live in this world by sheer chance, and die "when our hour strikes," to put it poetic language. However, we cannot die just like that - everything happens according to plan, has symptoms, or signs. What are these signs and is it really possible to predict that a person will die soon? Medicine claims - yes, it is possible, and offers the following signs of approaching death.

1. Lack of appetite

This is a natural sign of the approach of death, because your body no longer needs energy - why do you need it if you die tomorrow? You may not want to eat at all, or you may only want very “harmless”, light meals or foods, such as porridge, sandwich, compote, yogurt. It is unlikely that you will want to eat meat before your death - you simply will not have time to digest it when you die. Your body itself feels when you die, and simply refuses food. In such a situation, you may have very little strength, and it is good if someone takes care of you and is nearby, because the lack of appetite does not mean that you do not need anything: sometimes you need a little water - just to moisten dry lips.

2. Immeasurable sleepiness

Before going to another world, a person begins a period of “borderline”: he sleeps more and more, it is more difficult for him to move and even talk, he is more and more immersed in that reality invisible to the living. He must not be forbidden, and relatives should act wisely, allowing the dying man to sleep as much as he wants, and talk to him as if he were alive, because he has not died yet, and his sleep is not a deep sleep, but rather a slumber through which he hears and understands what is happening in the world.

3. Weakness and fatigue

Before the threshold of death, a person has little energy, he eats little or nothing, constantly sleeps, speaks little, it can be difficult for him to roll over in bed on his side or drink water. He needs help, because his weakness and fatigue indicate that death is already near.

4. Loss of orientation and consciousness

Sometimes, before death, a person ceases to understand where he is and what is happening. He is in this world, but the other world seems to be calling him. The organs begin to "jump", the brain can turn off, and then turn on, but not work as usual. In such a situation, a person behaves strangely, sometimes he does not recognize his loved ones. Those close to you need to show patience and endurance, caring for the dying.

5. Heavy breathing

The dying man breathes heavily at death. Breathing quickens and then becomes very deep. Breathing is hoarse, uneven, the dying person seems to be suffocating. It helps him to sit down with a pillow behind him - sitting he can breathe easier than lying down.

6. Introspection

The natural process of death includes a loss of attention to what is happening around, to the life of the people around. The dying man is preparing for death - he is no longer interested in what the living think and say. At the same time, he cannot be left alone with himself - he must feel the support of loved ones, who are desirable to be near and support the dying.

7. Urine color changes

The urine of the dying person becomes darker - sometimes almost brown, sometimes reddish. Organs, as already mentioned, "jump", and the same applies to the kidneys. Sometimes kidney failure before death leads to the immersion of the dying person in a coma and subsequent silent death.

8. Edema

This symptom is a consequence of kidney failure. You can no longer go to the toilet, so the fluid accumulates in the body, leading to swelling of parts of the body.

9. Cold extremities

Before plunging into death, the hands and feet of the dying person become cold, especially the palsy. The blood just goes to the most important organs, leaving the limbs almost without blood, and therefore without heat. In such a situation, loved ones should cover the dying person with a blanket to warm their frozen hands and feet.

10. Walking spots

The dying person is pale, but as a result of circulatory disorders, it seems that spots or patterns “walk” on his body. Usually such spots or patterns appear first on the feet, and then on other parts of the body.

Not all of these signs are "necessary": some of them may be absent, but it is these signs that are most often said, from the point of view of medical supervision that death is not just nearby - it has almost taken possession of a person.