Changes to breathing
- When death is very close the breathing pattern may change. Sometimes there are long pauses between breaths, or the tummy muscles will take over the work, with the abdomen rising and falling instead of the chest. A possible pattern is a shallow breath followed by a pause in breathing for several seconds, followed again by a breath, deep or shallow. Another pattern of breathing is rapid, shallow and panting.
- These patterns are part of changes occurring in the brain and lungs during the last hours of life.
- The healthcare team may turn your loved one’s head on their side to ease the pattern. However, the pattern often returns, but it is not distressing to them.
- As your relative comes towards the end of their life the demand for oxygen is much less, and people who have experienced breathlessness often find breathing eases as they start to die. Sitting quietly holding your loved one’s hand can ease any feelings of anxiety (if they exist).
