Tuesday, 2 April 2013

Dehydration Research


Whilst developing my idea, “Endure”, I mainly used my own knowledge on certain aspects to develop the characters. So of these, I like to believe I know enough about but as a precaution I did the following research.

This is an important element towards the characters; it shows length of time which has passed since the incident and it explains the state of mind which is now in. Allowing certain reactions and emotions to be shown to the audience as a sign of weakness making the audience feel more sympathy towards Tom and Luke.

Basic Information
Dehydration occurs when more water and fluids are exiting the body than are entering the body. With about 75% of the body made up of water found inside cells, within blood vessels, and between cells, survival requires a rather sophisticated water management system. Although water is lost constantly throughout the day as we breathe, sweat, urinate, and defecate, we can replenish the water in our body by drinking fluids. The body can also shift water around to areas where it is more needed if dehydration begins to occur. Most occurrences of dehydration can be easily reversed by increasing fluid intake, but severe cases of dehydration require immediate medical attention.

What causes dehydration?

The immediate causes of dehydration include not enough water, too much water loss, or some combination of the two. Sometimes it is not possible to consume enough fluids because we are too busy, lack the facilities or strength to drink, or are in an area without potable water (while hiking or camping, for example). Additional causes of dehydration include: 
  • Diarrhoea - the most common cause of dehydration and related deaths. The large intestine absorbs water from food matter, and diarrhoea prevents this function, leading to dehydration.
  • Vomiting - leads to a loss of fluids and makes it difficult to replace water by drinking it.
  • Sweating- the body's cooling mechanism releases a significant amount of water. Hot and humid weather and vigorous physical activity can further increase fluid loss from sweating.
  • Diabetes - high blood sugar levels cause increased urination and fluid loss.
  • Freguent Urination- usually caused by uncontrolled diabetes, but also can be due to alcohol and medications such as diuretics, antihistamines, blood pressure medications, and anti-psychotics.
  • Burns - water seeps into damaged skin and the body loses fluids.
How is dehydration diagnosed?
A physician will use both physical and mental exams to diagnose dehydration. A patient presenting symptoms such as disorientation, low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, fever, lack of sweat, and inelastic skin will usually be considered dehydrated. 

What are the symptoms of dehydration?
The first symptoms of dehydration include thirst, darker urine, and decreased urine production. In fact, urine colour is one of the best indicators of a person's hydration level - clear urine means you are well hydrated and darker urine means you are dehydrated. As the condition progresses to moderate dehydration, symptoms include:   
  • Dry mouth
  • Lethargy
  • Few or no tears when crying
  • Weakness in muscles
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
Severe dehydration may be characterized by extreme versions of symptoms mentioned above as well as: 
  • Lack of sweating
  • Sunken eyes
  • Shrivelled and dry skin
  • Sunken fontanels (soft spots) in babies
  • Low blood pressure
  • Increased heart beat
  • Fever
  • Delirium
  • Unconsciousness
All this information was provided from;


What I am going to use
Some of these factors of dehydration I was aware of and had already used them in my script, for example, the protagonist Tom will be visually suffering from it with dry mouth and headache. The element of increased heartbeat is a factor that I didn’t take into account and at this moment in time don’t think would be necessary as I only want Tom to be suffering from a moderate straight of dehydration. However if I was to add increased heartbeat then it would add more tension for the audience showing how much Tom is suffering, it would also may allow me to use this sound effect into a cutaway.

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