The sound a person makes that means they have less than 24 hours left to live and how to spot it

There's a chilling sound that someone makes when they have just one more day left to live.

Death is a scary prospect, but the reality of it is that people will reach this stage of their life one day, and unknown to many, the dying process comes with a number of odd phenomena, some of which happen months before death.

Health experts have long tried to remove the stigmas around the concept of death, but families and loved ones will always worry.

One of these behaviours is something called the 'death rattle', which sounds quite intense, though if this happens, it means that the person is going into their last 24/25 hours on Earth.

So, how does this phenomena look and sound like, and can you do anything to prevent or avoid it?

What exactly is the 'death rattle'? (Getty Stock Image)

The 'death rattle' explained

It's an unsettling sound which can be heard by those around the person's death bed, and signals that they are 'approaching death', according to Medical News Today.

They explain that 'a moaning, snoring, or rattling sound' may be heard with each breath, and could occur when a person is no longer able to swallow, cough, or clear the back of their throat from saliva or mucus due to increased secretions in the respiratory tract.

It can be heard as a 'crackling, wet noise' that is amplified with breathing, while others have reported that it can sound like soft moaning or a loud gurgling/snoring sound.

Despite the oddity of the sound and the 'choking' sound, no evidence points to the dying person being aware of the sound or being in pain.

Can you manage the death rattle?

While it isn't painful for the individual, the dying person's loved ones may find the noise distressing, so a number of things can be done to ease the noise:

• You can turn the person onto their side
• Drain secretions from the mouth with suction
• Elevate their head so the secretions can drain
• Use medication to clear the secretions
• Moisten the mouth with damp swabs
• Limit fluid intake

While these won't prevent the death rattle, which is a natural stage of dying, it can reduce the sound.

The phenomenon can't be stopped (Getty Stock Image)

How long is left after the death rattle?

A number of factors can affect this, though it is stated by several medical professionals, including those on Medical News Today, that it's around 25 hours.

The dying process in total involves the death rattle, confusion, and restlessness.

Those in hospice care have a longer dying process according to a study published on the subject, while some don't ever experience the death rattle as it found that only 40 percent of people displayed the behaviour in the dying phase, with 35 percent of people showing it in the last 24 hours of life.

Most importantly, the death rattle is a natural stage of dying that medical professionals will explain to loved ones to avoid any worries, as it is usually nothing to worry about.

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.