Chilling sound people make throughout the last 24 hours left of life

A doctor has revealed the chilling sound people make during the last 24 hours or so of their lives.

It's called the 'death rattle' and is a sign that someone is approaching the end of life.

It sounds like a moaning, snoring or rattling sound according to Dr Paulien Moyaert, a former medical student, current PhD candidate, and nuclear medicine resident.

But she added it's completely normal for this to happen.

In a YouTube video, Dr Moyaert explained: "This occurs because as consciousness decreases, patients lose the ability to swallow and clear oral secretions."

Oral secretions can be things such as saliva or mucus.

"Air moves over these secretions, resulting in noisy breathing" Dr Moyaert added.

"Some people say the 'death rattle' is the lungs' attempt to breathe through a layer of saliva. It is important to know this is not distressing for the patient because they are non-responsive and deeply asleep at this point.

"However, it sounds terrible. It sometimes even seems as if the patient is drowning or choking."

The 'death rattle' usually occurs around 24 hours before the end of someone's life / bymuratdeniz, iStock

Dr Moyaert explained the treatments that can be given when this occurs.

"This is why we often give drugs to dry up the airways and soften the death rattle," she said. "Remember that when we do it, it is not for the dying person, it is for the family.

"Repositioning patients so they are turned on their side with the head slightly elevated may also help. This makes the secretions less likely to stay in the back of the throat."

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