The Causes of Human Death
Disease, especially infectious disease is a leading cause of death in developing countries.
Heart disease, cancer, and diseases caused by obesity are other leading diseases that cause death.
There are many causes of human death.
The most common ones are death by disease, by suffocation/asphyxiation (which is a prolonged lack of oxygen to
one's brain), physical trauma either by accident or through intentional circumstance such as in a homicide,
suicide, and the natural process of aging.
Disease, especially infectious disease is a leading cause of death in developing countries. Heart disease,
cancer, and diseases caused by obesity are other leading diseases that cause death.
As technology has advanced, death has become more of a condition to be managed than an occurance to be recorded
as in days past.
In many cases an autopsy is ordered to determine the cause of death. An autopsy is a postmortem examination by a
licensed specialized doctor called a pathologist. the autopsy is also called a postmortem examination.
It is a medical procedure in which an examination of the corpse is conducted to determine or evaluate the state
of death. Diseases or injuries that are presented are noted.
They are usually performed for legal or medical reasons and can be ordered by a judge when homicide has been
suspected.
Autopsies can be of an external nature or both external and internal. In some cases permission is necessary from
next of kin before a internal examination can be performed.
The body is put back together after the autopsy is completed. Autopsy is necessary when there is a question as
to medical malpractice so that mistakes can be analyzed and medical practices improved.
In the United States the leading cause of death is heart disease followed in order by cancer, cerebrovascular
disease (stroke), chronic lower respiratory disease such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, unintentional
injuries caused by accidents, diabetes, flu and pneumonia, Alzheimer’s disease, kidney disease and systemic
infection.
| Sleeping - There may be an increase in the amount of sleep the individual will require during the daytime. It may be difficult to arouse the person from the state of sleep. This increase in sleeping is because of the change in metabolism the body experiences as it goes through the shutting down process. Visitors should try to plan activities with the individual around the more alert times. Breathing - There will be a noticeable change in the breathing pattern which may include irregular breathing or noisy breathing that is a result of excess oral secretions that are lying at the back of the throat. Death Records |
In young people the leading cause of death is accidents followed by homicide, suicide, cancer and heart
disease.
Cancer strikes fear in the minds of most people and includes cancer of the lung, colon, breast, prostate,
pancreas, lymphoma, and also leukemia.
The result of medical and technological advances people are living increasing longer lives most into their 70s,
80s and 90s and then succumbing to the aging process with causes of death such as cardiac disease, cancer or
degenerative disease.
As a general observation youth is more vulnerable to violent death, middle age succumbs to disease and
conditions that affect those who participate in high risk activities and old age is more vulnerable to diseases
that are related to the debility expected in the aging body such as accidental falls, chronic disease, dementia and
infection.
As a person reaches advanced age the cause of death becomes increasingly due to a combination of things and
becomes more difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of death thus autopsy is done less frequently the older a person
becomes; unless of course foul play is suspected.
Lifestyle and behavior can greatly contribute to cause of death. Lifestyle activities such as tobacco usage,
poor diet and lack of exercise, alcohol consumption, microbial agents, toxic agents, firearms usage or exposure,
sexual behavior, motor vehicle accidents and the illicit use of drugs.
|