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When people are no longer able to swallow or cough, saliva builds up in the back of the throat and the airways causing a "rattling" sound when air passes through.

It is a normal end-of-life event that is not uncomfortable for those who are dying. There are medications that can be used to dry up some of the excess secretions that contribute to the death rattle.

It is not a cause of death, merely a process of.

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