Audio of chilling sound that person makes if they have less than 24 hours to live
Witnessing someone's death is never an easy thing, but it's a solemn act that many people will have to go through at some point.
When the body begins to die, it does a number of specific things, some of which occur several months before they die, and others in the last day of a person's life.
Among the latter category is something known as the 'death rattle', a noise a person makes which is a sign that they may be within the last 24 hours of their life.
It occurs when a person is dying, as they lose their ability to swallow, meaning things collect in their throat, and the noise air makes as it moves through this un-swallowed matter produces a distinctive sound.
Advert
Hospice nurse Julie McFadden explained it simply was 'a collection of a small bit of saliva in the back of the throat that just sounds really bad'.
It's part of the dying process, and the sound has been described as a 'crackling, wet noise' that gets louder as a person breathes, while other descriptions say it can sound like something between a soft moan and a gurgling, snoring sound.
This chilling sound doesn't cause pain to the person making it, though it's usually taken as a sign that they are within their final day of life.
Experts want to reassure people that the 'death rattle' is a completely normal thing, and to prepare them for the possibility that they may one day hear that sound coming from someone they care about.
It's one of the many things that can happen to a body as it dies, it doesn't cause pain to the person doing it, but it can understandably be quite distressing for those around who hear it.
There are ways to alleviate the noise, such as having the person sit up a bit more, or turning the person over so the saliva comes out.
Despite the knowledge around it and efforts to raise awareness on how it's not causing any pain, it can still be a difficult thing for people to hear.
Other things the human body does when it is dying a natural death is change at around the six-month mark, so a person will start sleeping a lot more, and eating and drinking a lot less.
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.
Joe Harker