Getting to know ORS
Quoted from plengdut.com, ORS is a special drink consisting of sugar, salt and water. In English, ORS are called Oral Rehydration Salts.
ORS serves to replace lost body fluids due to diarrhea or vomiting. According to the Indonesian Ministry of Health, ORS is the best medicine or liquid to cure diarrhea sufferers.
This claim is supported by studies showing that, giving ORS is as effective as giving intravenous fluids (infusion) in treating patients who are dehydrated.
ORS is one of the popular natural remedies used to treat digestive problems with diarrhea. Diarrhea is a condition in which the body loses a lot of fluids and electrolytes through the stool (mushy or liquid). This is caused by hypersecretion or impaired absorption.
According to WHO, the standard of diarrhea is the discharge of liquid stools more than three times in a 24 hour period. Diarrhea is generally divided into three characteristics, namely; acute discharge, persistent, and dysentery. The basis of all diarrhea problems is disruption of intestinal solution transport.
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The movement of water through the intestinal membrane is passive and this is determined by the active and passive flow of the solution, especially sodium, chloride and glucose. Knowledge about how to make ORS in general is needed by everyone. Because if you are experiencing diarrhea, you need a fast, practical and correct treatment. Quoted from several sources, here is how to make ORS at home with the right and correct dosage. |
How to Make Your Own ORS
ORS is currently available in pharmacies under various brands such as ORS, Pedialyte, Naturalyte, and Parolit. However, if you don't want to buy or don't have time to go to the pharmacy, you can make ORS at home.
The ingredients ORS required are also very simple. You only need warm boiled water, salt and sugar. Here's how to make ORS at home;
1. Wash your hands first
Before making ORS, it's a good idea to make sure that your hands are really clean. Immediately wash your hands with soap and running water until they are clean then dry with a towel.
This aims to prevent your artificial ORS from being contaminated with germs and bacteria. Instead of curing, contaminated ORS can actually trigger diarrhea that recurs or is even more severe.
2. Prepare tools and materials
The tools and materials needed to make ORS are as follows;
- Glass
- Clean container
- Spoon
- Fine salt
- Sugar
- Boiled water
3. How to make ORS
The steps in how to make ORS are as follows;
- Get a clean container.
- Put 1/2 teaspoon of table salt and 8 teaspoons of granulated sugar into the container.
- Add 1 liter of boiled water.
- Stir thoroughly with a spoon for 1 minute.
- ORS is ready to drink.
ORS that you make yourself can be stored for 24 hours. Avoid prolonged storage. And it should be drunk as soon as it's finished.
ORS dosage
ORS administration and how to make ORS must be done according to the recommended dosage. This of course aims so that ORS can provide optimal benefits.
As with other medicines, ORS has different dosages and dosages, according to the age of the diarrhea sufferer.
The dosages for diarrhea are as follows;
- Under 4 months (weight under 5 kg): 200-400 ml
- Age 4-11 months (weight 5-7.9 kg): 400-600 ml
- Age 12-23 months (weight 8-10.9 kg): 600-500 ml
- Age 2-4 years (weight 11-15.9 kg): 800-1200 ml
- Age 5-14 years (weight 16-29.9 kg): 1200-2200 ml
- Age 15 and over (weight 30 kg or more): 2200-4000 ml
Overcoming Diarrhea
Diarrheal disease occurs because of a bacterial infection, certain food allergies, poisoning, or other problems in the digestive tract.
Diarrhea sufferers tend to decrease their appetite, because they have to constantly go to the toilet. However, it is still important to provide nutrition to the body.
In addition to how to make ORS above, you can also look for types of food to replace nutrients and body fluids lost due to diarrhea. One that is commonly recommended is BRAT food: Banana (banana), Rice (rice), Apple sauce (applesauce), and Toast (toast).
Apart from these types of food, you can also look for foods that are high in potassium and nutrients. Consumption of probiotics to replace bad bacteria in the digestive tract is also important.
The more probiotic levels in the digestive system, the faster it is likely to recover from diarrhea.