When a patient is on their path to death, they may experience a loss of appetite. For some people, they may decrease their food intake because it is physically too tiring to chew and swallow. Others may want less food or request more bland food because their need for energy supplying foods will decrease. Patients also tend to sleep more as death grows closer. Patients may sleep for prolonged hours and may be difficult to wake up. This usually occurs because a patient’s metabolism slows when they are close to death. Also, the lack of adequate food and water will lead to being under nourished and dehydrated. A declining appetite ties in with another symptom of dying; increased physical weakness. Physical weakness occurs due to the lack of energy associated with a declining appetite. If a person eats less than what the body needs, they will ultimately have less energy to perform simple tasks like lifting one’s head or lifting a fork to their …show more content…
Hours prior to passing on, the fingertips, toes and extremities begin to turn cold and almost bluish in color. This happens because the body prioritizes vital organs such as the lungs and the brain. Therefore, circulation is rerouted to body organs and taken away from the extremities, leading to the coolness and lack of blood flow. Due to the poor circulation, nails usually turn a pale color instead of the healthy pink that most people experience. Breathing difficulty is also a significant sign that death is near. Mucosa secretions will thicken and make it hard for a dying patient to breathe. The mucosa accumulates in the lungs, throat and mouth making respiration difficult. Minutes before death, a person may start gasping for air. This occurs because the lungs and heart are starting to fail, leading to inadequate oxygen levels in the