Whether in clinic or in life, people can often encounter or hear such things: some critically ill patients who are already in a state of unconsciousness and lack of water and rice suddenly become conscious and excited before their death, and even increase their language and appetite. However, it is not long before they die. Just like a candle or an oil lamp that is about to run out of oil, a strong light will burst out before it goes out. Traditional Chinese medicine calls this phenomenon "return of light" or "return of light", which is considered as a "dying struggle" of patients with visceral failure who mobilize their whole body before dying. For example, the mother Jia in a dream of Red Mansions is not cured after a long illness. All of a sudden, she was so excited that her children and grandchildren gathered under her knees and asked them to do it one by one. Seeing her face red, Jia Zheng knew that she was shining back in the future. Although she offered ginseng soup in time, it didn't help.
So, why is there a phenomenon of "back glow" and is there a scientific explanation for it?
yes. It turns out that when the human body is terminally ill, the system functions of the body will fail one after another, resulting in disorder. For example, respiratory system function decline, oxygen intake is insufficient, and carbon dioxide is stored in the body. This situation will affect the heart, so that the heart's stroke volume, blood pressure drop, but also affect the function of the kidney to clear waste. At this time, the organs in danger will send out a distress signal to the brain. As the "headquarters" of the human body, the brain will "put all its eggs" when it knows that it has no power to return to heaven. It will command the adrenal medulla to secrete epinephrine through the efferent nerve, so as to promote the coronary vasodilation of the heart, so that the myocardium can obtain more blood, improve the function and raise the blood pressure; at the same time, the respiratory center will adjust the respiration, deepen and accelerate the breathing, and temporarily reverse the body's hypoxia condition; The brain also 'commands' the adrenal cortex to secrete a large number of cortical hormones, increase the metabolism of the three major nutrients (sugar, fat and protein), adjust the balance of water and electrolyte in the body, and temporarily meet the energy needs of various organs. After the brain's emergency mobilization, the human body will temporarily appear blood pressure rise, blood sugar rise, kidney excretion function enhancement, the patient's performance is miraculously suddenly improved.
In addition, there is an important substance called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) that can store and supply energy in human cells. When the human body encounters strong stimulation, such as bacterial invasion, imminent death and other serious situations, ATP will rapidly convert into adenosine diphosphate (ADP), and release huge energy, so that the body's various systems and organs quickly obtain strong power, people will suddenly show extraordinary vitality, such as sudden consciousness, increased strength of limbs, increased appetite. Of course, this kind of vitality supported by transient strength can only be a flash in the pan, because ATP energy can only maintain for a short time, so the excitement of dying will be very short-lived. This is the principle of "shining back". We can think of it as a spark of life before we die. At this time, relatives and friends should do is to let patients in the light of this spark, arrange their own aftercare, to complete the unfinished wish.