How to Make Oral Rehydration Saline (ORS) Solution

Oral rehydration salt (ORS) is a special solution made from sugar, salt, and clean water. This solution helps to replace water lost due to diarrhea or vomiting. Studies have shown that ORS is effective in rehydrating intravenous fluids when treating dehydration. ^{[1] X Research Resources} You can purchase prepackaged ORS solutions such as Pedialyte®, Infalyte®, and Naturalyte®. You can also use clean water, salt and sugar to make this solution at home.

Table of Contents

Do-it-yourself ORS . Solution

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Hand washing. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before preparing the solution. Make sure you have a clean jar or bottle on hand. ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Get ingredients. To make an ORS solution, you need:

Refined salt (such as Kosher salt, iodized salt, or sea salt)
Clean water
Granulated sugar or powdered sugar

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Mix dry ingredients. Put half a teaspoon of fine salt and 2 teaspoons of sugar in a clean container. You can use granulated sugar or powdered sugar.

If you don’t have a measuring spoon, you can use a handful of sugar and a pinch of salt. However, this is not correct and should not be done. ^{[3] X Research Sources Wilcox WD, Miller JJ. Inaccuracy of three-finger pinch method of determining salt content in homemade sugar salt sputions. Wilderness Environ Med, 1996;7(2):122-126.}

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Add one liter of clean drinking water. If you do not measure a liter, measure 5 cups of water (about 200ml each). Use only clean water. Water can be bottled or freshly boiled and cooled.

Make sure to use only water. Milk, broth, juice or soft drinks cannot be used as it will make the ORS solution ineffective. ^{[4] X Research Source te Loo DM, van der Graaf F, Ten WT. The effect of flavoring oral rehydration sputter on its composition and palatability. J Pediatr Gastroenterp Nutr, 2004;39(5):545-548.} Don’t add sugar.

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Stir well and drink. Use a spatula or whisk to mix the ORS powder in the water. After about one minute of continuous stirring, the solution should be completely dissolved. Now you can drink. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

ORS solution can be stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Do not store longer.

Understanding ORS . Solution

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Ask your doctor if you need to take ORS. If you have severe diarrhea or vomit a lot, your body will lose water leading to dehydration. If this is the case, you will notice: thirstier, dry mouth, drowsiness, urinating less, dark yellow urine, headache, dry skin and dizziness. If you have any of these symptoms, call your doctor. You may be asked to use an ORS solution if these symptoms are not severe.

Without treatment, dehydration can become severe. Signs of severe dehydration include: very dry mouth and skin, dark yellow or brown urine, loss of skin elasticity, slow pulse, sunken eyes, convulsions, general loss of strength, and even comatose. If you or someone you are caring for has such severe symptoms of dehydration, call 911 right away.

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Learn how ORS solution treats severe dehydration. ORS solution was created to replace lost salt content and improve the body’s ability to absorb water. When you start to show signs of dehydration, you should take ORS. The main purpose of this solution is to rehydrate the body. It is easier to prevent early dehydration by taking ORS than it is to wait until it is time to treat it.

Severe dehydration will require hospitalization and intravenous fluids. However, if detected early, ORS water can be prepared at home to treat mild dehydration.

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Learn to drink ORS. Take small sips of ORS water throughout the day. You can drink this solution while eating. If vomiting occurs, temporarily stop taking ORS. Wait 10 minutes and then drink again. If you are breastfeeding or caring for a young child, you should continue to breastfeed your baby during treatment with ORS. You can take ORS until the diarrhea stops. The information below shows how the ORS solution should be used: ^{[6] X Credible Sources Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source}

Newborns and toddlers: 0.5 liters of ORS water within 24 hours
Young children (ages 2 to 9): 1 liter of ORS water within 24 hours
Children (over 10 years old) and adults: 3 liters of ORS water within 24 hours

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You need to know when to see your doctor if you have diarrhea. Symptoms should stop a few hours after drinking ORS water. You will urinate more often, the urine will be light yellow and clear. If symptoms do not improve, or any of the following appear, seek medical help immediately: ^{[7] X Research Source}

bloody diarrhea or tarry stools
continuous vomiting
high fever
severe dehydration (feeling dizzy, lethargic, sunken eyes, not urinating for 12 hours)

Advice

Diarrhea usually stops after three or four days. The real danger is the lack of water and nutrients in the child’s body leading to malnutrition and dehydration.
Encourage your child to drink as much as possible.
You can buy packaged ORS powder at the pharmacy. Each sachet contains 22g of powder for one drink. Follow the instructions on the package to make the solution.
A diet consisting of bananas, rice, apple juice and toast will help you recover from diarrhea and in some cases can limit dehydration, as these foods are easy to digest. .
If you have diarrhea, consider taking a zinc supplement. You can take 10 mg to 20 mg of zinc daily for 10–14 days after diarrhea. ^{[8] X Research Sources} This method replenishes zinc levels in the body and avoids aggravation of the disease. Zinc is found in seafood such as oysters and crab, beef, fortified cereals, and baked beans. ^{[9] X Source of Research} These foods may help, but zinc supplements are needed to make up for the loss in severe diarrhea.

Warning

Always check if the water used for mixing is clean.
If diarrhea does not go away after a week, consult your doctor or healthcare professional.
Never give a child with diarrhea tablets, antibiotics or other medicines unless prescribed by a doctor or healthcare professional.

Steps

Do-it-yourself ORS . Solution

Understanding ORS . Solution

Advice

Warning

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