A hospice nurse has revealed a controversial end-of-life symptom that she claims always sparks "heat", even from fellow healthcare professionals.
TikTok user and hospice nurse Julie has amassed a large following on social media for her frank, open discussions about death. The best-selling author works tirelessly in palliative care, caring for her patients and helping their families prepare for what lies ahead.
In one of her viral videos, Julie told her 1.8 million followers about a sign that a person is nearing death. However, it's a signal that many people, including medical professionals, find hard to accept.
A Sign That Sparks Disagreement
She told her fans: "I get the most heat for saying this one thing, including from other health care workers, and that's when I say people who are dying should be dehydrated. I know that can sound so jarring, so let me explain to you why."
"When a person is dying from something, not from being dehydrated, and we know they're dying from something else, your body will eventually start preparing itself to die. The body knows how to die – it has built-in mechanisms to help it do that."
Julie continued: "One of things it will do is start making the person not really hungry and not really thirsty. So the person will already not be wanting to eat and drink, usually. Of course, the family starts freaking out, they're not eating, they're not drinking, what are we going to do?"
Why the Body Stops Wanting Food and Drink
Julie explained that it's natural for families to become distressed when their loved one refuses to eat or drink, fearing this will hasten their death.
She clarified: "What you have to remember is people dying are not dying because they're not eating and drinking. They're not eating and drinking because they're dying, and our body knows this."
She elaborated that the human body is so intelligent that it understands minimal food and drink inside makes the process of dying easier and less painful.
The medical professional continued: "The body will actually go into ketosis where it releases endorphins that make that person feel good and feel better."
Dehydration and a Peaceful Passing
Julie explained that when someone is dying and they're dehydrated, they don't experience the same thirst a healthy body would during a hike or in a desert.
She added: "It doesn't feel like that where you have a headache and other things. It doesn't feel like that. The body actually prepares itself to be dehydrated."
Patients' loved ones often struggle to accept this explanation and insist on their family member receiving an IV of fluid, but this can actually harm their body.
She explained: "If a healthy body got IV fluid, the healthy body would feel better, they'd get hydrated and instantly start feeling better, but when a dying body gets hydration, it doesn't do what it's supposed to do."
The fluid could trigger swelling, typically in the lower limbs, before it reaches the heart. Julie continued: "The heart will say it can't keep pumping this fluid around the body, it's too much. It will then back up into the lungs and cause respiratory distress."
When a dying body becomes overwhelmed with hydration, it can lead to a less peaceful passing because patients typically experience breathing difficulties.
She concluded: "Moral of the story. Dehydration at the end of life does not cause suffering and can in fact cause a more peaceful death."
Viewers of Julie's video appreciated her honest approach. One person responded: "Hydration would be prolonging death not prolonging life."
Meanwhile, another healthcare professional commented: "GP here. This is the best explanation I have heard for this mechanism. Your patients and their families are lucky to have you."
