Joshua Nair
There's a specific noise that someone can make, indicating that they might die in just minutes.
While certain signs have been outlined by health experts about what can happen on your deathbed, there are things that you should look out for in everyday life that could signal that someone is in a life-threatening situation.
In this situation, it's a noise that could indicate that someone could be experiencing a cardiac arrest or stroke.
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Hospice nurses have outlined stages of dying for people to be aware of when someone is already in their final days, but this sign can happen to anyone at any given time, so it'd be a good idea to know what to do if you spot it.
The noise comes out as a gasp of breath almost, and comes across as someone struggling to breathe.
This desperate sound, compared to resurfacing after spending too much time underwater, is a symptom of the heart not circulating oxygenated blood, according to Healthline.
They further explain that it could also be an interruption of lung activity reducing oxygen intake, which could mean that death is fast approaching.
It's called agonal breathing, or agonal respiration, and it's 'the medical term for the gasping that people do when they’re struggling to breathe because of cardiac arrest or another serious medical emergency.'
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If this happens to someone, you have to contact your emergency medical service, the NHS in the UK, on 999.
It is fatal, as brain cells can start dying when they are deprived of oxygen for just five minutes.
Paramedics can help to preserve heart, brain and overall health, if they tend to them in time.
Unlike the 'death rattle' though, which is when saliva or mucus collecting in the throat or chest, resulting in a gurgling noise made by some when they're dying.
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Agonal breathing is instead an abnormal, odd pattern of breathing that can be saved, and doesn't necessarily mean that they are dying, signalling a cardiac arrest.
Despite this, they sound similar, like gasping, snorting or heavy breathing, while it can sound like moaning sometimes.
This can be quick, or even last a few hours.
It is important to note that cardiac arrest different to a heart attack, which is when arteries narrow to stop blood from reaching the heart, while cardiac arrest is an electrical problem in the body, and the heart stops beating regularly, known as 'an arrhythmia, or pattern of irregular heartbeats'.