Dying
Dying is the process in which an organism’s vital functions irreversibly cease, ending its life. In humans, it may unfold gradually or occur abruptly.
Homeostasis: The regulation of internal conditions that keeps an organism within ranges compatible with life. As dying advances, systems that maintain stable internal conditions fail.
Vital signs: Measurements of basic bodily functions, commonly including temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure. Their changes can indicate deterioration, but do not alone establish death.
Palliative care: Care that relieves suffering and improves quality of life during serious illness. It addresses symptoms and distress without requiring treatment aimed at cure.
Coma: A prolonged state of unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened and shows no purposeful responses. A coma is profound unconsciousness, not by itself irreversible loss of vital functions.
Grief: The emotional, cognitive, and social response to loss. Anticipatory grief can arise before death, while bereavement follows a death.
Cardiac arrest: The sudden cessation of effective heart activity and circulation. It can initiate a rapid sequence of oxygen deprivation and organ failure.
Irreversibility: The property of a process that cannot be undone or returned to its prior state. Irreversible loss of vital functions separates dying from temporary physiological crises.
Hospice care: A model of care focused on comfort and support near the end of life. It organizes medical and practical support when dying is expected and cure is not the goal.
Persistent vegetative state: A condition of wakefulness without evidence of awareness after severe brain injury. It can resemble death to observers while vital functions continue.
Thanatophobia: An intense fear of death or dying. Fear of dying shapes how people approach illness, care, and mortality.