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Two Methods: Making Your Own ORS SolutionUnderstanding ORS DrinksCommunity Q&A
Oral rehydration salts (ORS) is a special drink made up of sugars, salts, and clean water. It can help replace fluid loss from severe diarrhea or vomiting. Studies have shown ORS to be as effective as intravenous fluid administration when treating dehydration.[1] ORS drinks can be made using purchased packets, like Pedialyte®, Infalyte®, and Naturalyte®. You can also make ORS drinks at home using clean water, salt, and sugar.
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Steps Method 1
Making Your Own ORS Solution 1
Wash your hands. Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water before preparing the drink. Make sure you have a clean pitcher or bottle ready.[2]
2
Gather the ingredients. To make your own ORS solution, youll need:
table salt (such as Kosher salt, iodized salt or sea salt) clean water granulated or powdered sugar 3
Mix the dry ingredients. Add a half-teaspoon of table salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar into a clean container. You can use granulated or powdered sugar.
If you don't have a teaspoon to measure, you can use a fistful scoop of sugar and a three finger pinch of salt. But, this is not accurate and is not recommended.[3] 4
Add one liter of clean drinking water. If you cannot measure out a liter, add 5 cups of water (each cup is about 200 ml). Only use clean water. The water can be bottled water or recently boiled and cooled water.
Be sure to only use water. Milk, soup, fruit juice or soft drinks cannot be used since they will make the ORS ineffective.[4] Don't add any extra sugar. 5
Stir well and drink. Use a spoon or whisk to mix the ORS powder into the water. After a minute or so of vigorous stirring, the solution should be completely dissolved. Now, it is ready to drink.
[5] ORS solution can be refrigerated for 24 hours. Do not store it any longer. Method 2
Understanding ORS Drinks 1
Ask your doctor if you need to take ORS drinks. If you have severe diarrhea or vomiting, your body will lose fluids, which can lead to dehydration. If so, you'll notice: increased thirst, dry mouth, sleepiness, less frequent urination, dark yellow urine, headache, dry skin, and dizziness. If you experience any of these symptoms, call your doctor. You'll probably be told to start taking ORS drinks if the symptoms aren't severe.
Left untreated, dehydration can become severe. Severe dehydration symptoms include: very dry mouth and skin, very dark yellow or brown urine, loss of skin elasticity, lowered pulse rate, sunken eyes, seizure, generalized body weakness, and even coma. If you or the person youre caring for show severe dehydration symptoms, get emergency help. 2
Understand how ORS drinks can prevent severe dehydration. ORS drinks are designed to replace lost salt content and improve absorption of water by the body. At the first signs of dehydration, you should take ORS. This mainly helps by re-hydrating the body. It is easier to prevent dehydration early on by drinking ORS drinks than to cure it.
Severe dehydration will require hospitalization and intravenous fluid administration. But, if caught early, ORS drinks can be prepared at home to treat mild dehydration. 3
Learn how to take ORS drinks. Sip ORS drinks throughout the day. You can drink it along with eating meals. If you vomit, take a break from drinking ORS. Wait 10 minutes, then drink the solution again. If you're nursing and treating a baby, you must continue breast feeding while treating with ORS. You can keep using ORS until diarrhea has stopped. The following tells you how much ORS you must give to:
[6] Babies and toddlers: 0.5 liter of ORS drink every 24 hours Children (2 to 9 years old): 1 liter of ORS drink every 24 hours Children (more than 10 years old) and adults: 3 liters (0.79 US gal) of ORS drink every 24 hours 4
Know when to see a doctor if you're suffering from diarrhea. Symptoms should start to disappear a few hours after drinking the ORS solution. You should start urinating more and the urine will start to look light yellow or almost clear. If symptoms do not improve, or if any of the following symptoms begin, get immediate medical help:
[7] presence of blood in diarrhea or black, tarry stools persistent vomiting high fever very dehydrated (feeling dizzy, lethargic, sunken eyes, no urination in the past 12 hours) Tips Diarrhea usually stops in three or four days. The real danger is the loss of liquid and nutrients from the child's body, which can cause dehydration and malnutrition. Encourage the child to drink as much as possible. You can purchase ORS packets from drugstores or pharmacies. Each packet makes one serving and has 22 grams (0.78 oz) of powder. Follow the specific package instructions to mix it up. The BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) helps individuals rebound from bouts of diarrhea and in some cases can prevent further dehydration from happening, as these foods are easy on the gastrointestinal system. If you're suffering from diarrhea, consider taking zinc supplements. 10 mg to 20 mg of zinc can be taken every day for 1014 days after an initial bout of diarrhea.[8] This replenishes zinc content in the body and will prevent severity of further episodes. Zinc is rich in seafood such as oysters and crab, beef, fortified cereal, and baked beans.[9] This foods can help, but supplementation will be needed to replenish the zinc lost during severe diarrhea. Warnings Always check that the water used is free of contaminants. If the diarrhea does not stop after one week, consult a medical professional or a trained health worker. A child with diarrhea should never be given any tablets, antibiotics, or other medicines unless prescribed by a medical professional or a trained health worker. Article Info Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 362,131 times.
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