Doctor reveals the one sound people make that means they have under 24 hours left to live
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/RapidEye
A doctor has explained why people can make a certain noise when they're just hours away from death.
There's a particular noise our bodies will make if we're just 24 hours away from dying, and that's something known as a 'death rattle'.
According to Healthline, this is 'a crackling, wet sound that may accompany each breath'.
The site continues: "A death rattle is a distinctive sound that a person may make as they are coming to the end of their life and may no longer be able to swallow or cough effectively enough to clear their saliva."
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This may happen as person drifts in and out of consciousness and their breathing becomes more labored.
Going into more detail as to why this occurs, former medical student, PhD candidate, and nuclear medicine resident Dr Paulien Moyaert said in a YouTube video: "This occurs because as consciousness decreases, patients lose their ability to swallow. Air moves these pooled secretions resulting in noising breathing."
She added: "Some people say that the death rattle is the lungs' attempt to breathe through a layer of saliva."
While it looks quite distressing, apparently because the person making the noise is likely unconscious it means they won't be in any pain.
"We often give drugs to try dry up the airways and soften the death rattle," said Dr Moyaert. "But when we do it, it's not for the dying person but for their family."
The health expert further noted: "Repositioning the patient so that they're turned to their side with their head slightly elevated may also help."
Many viewers of the doctor's video have thanked her for the explanation. One person said: "Thank you. I am alone with my dying mother right now and this helped me know that it is normal."
A second wrote: "My friend is dying in Florida and her daughter is keeping me updated. She referenced a 'death rattle' in one of her updates and I wasn't sure what that was. Thank you for explaining it."
A third added: "Amazing, my father sounded just like this sample. Thank you Dr."
Others said they wished they knew this information before their own loved ones died.
"Thank you for helping inform and educate people who are experiencing this with a loved one or who will eventually do so," someone else commented. "I wish I had this information before my mom died. It was traumatic to hear as she had a very pronounced death rattle and it sounded like she was struggling to breath. the sound haunted me for months after she passed."
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].