Everything You Need to Know About ORS Benefits

Have you ever tried ORS while struggling with diarrhea?

ORS solution is one of the most commonly prescribed treatments against diarrhea or vomiting. 

No matter what age you are at, I am sure most of you can relate to this as diarrhea is a quite common condition. 

ORS is beneficial for diarrhoea because it helps to retain the fluid balance of your body and prevent dehydration. The therapy is meant to replace the lost minerals and body fluid that occurs as a result of diarrhoea. 

Frequent bathroom visits and vomiting episodes can leave you deprived of energy, draining minerals and water from your body. ORS can help patients here.

What is ORS?

ORS (oral rehydration salt) or Peditral ORS is a powder formula that has the following ingredients:

• Water
• Mineral electrolytes or salts (potassium chloride, sodium citrate and sodium chloride) etc. 
• Sugars (mainly dextrose). 

This composition helps you to get over the loss of nutrients from your body. Further, it also improves the water absorption from your intestines to prevent dehydration. This powdered form of ORS is commonly available and is prescribed for diarrhoea patients. These salts help to revive electrolyte balance in your body. 

Every year 29 July is celebrated as World ORS Day to highlight the importance of ORS therapy!

ORS Benefits

Here is all we need to know about ORS benefits for health.

1- Fights Diarrhea 

Diarrhoea is a common health condition that is characterized by frequent bowel movements and loose motion. Many people also experience symptoms such as abdominal pain and loss of huge amounts of water from their bodies. 

However, drinking ORS can help to fight the acute form of diarrhoea. It helps to regain the electrolyte balance that gets disturbed as a result of acute diarrhoea. 

The good part is that diarrhoea is usually a short-lived condition that gets better with good hydration and consumption of the right foods.

2- Good for Dehydration

Your body needs the presence of water to perform its functions right. In case of dehydration, your body functions start getting compromised.

There are many complications associated with dehydration such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), kidney stone formation and heat exhaustion. When your body removes excessive water this eventually results in dehydration.

ORS helps to fight dehydration by improving the absorption of water by the small intestine. It even results in improved water consumption due to added flavours.

3- Improved Energy Levels

Conditions like diarrhoea can also result in low energy levels making you feel fatigued and resulting in weakness. The problem is real because you are not consuming energy-rich foods that can keep you going. Low energy levels can even make you go faint and feel dizzy. 

ORS water can reduce fatigue and can make you feel energetic and active by replenishing the lost salts from your body.

4- Beneficial for Athletes

Intense physical activity is associated with heavy sweating. This is a huge problem for athletes. 

In this case, drinking ORS water can help them feel better and this is even scientifically proven. So, when you are hitting a gym ORS water can be a good choice afterwards. 

5- Improved Motor Function

Your focus and cognitive function greatly depend upon your water consumption. This is especially important after an athletic event. An oral hydrating solution such as ORS can help to improve your motor function by giving your body the good amounts of electrolytes and water that your body needs.

6- Other Uses of ORS

ORS is not only for dehydration but there are other benefits too. Here is all you need to know about the other benefits of ORS water. 

• It can improve your mood. This is because your body needs a good amount of water for the production of feel-good hormones, aka serotonin. So, yes it can help you get rid of irritability and can make you feel good.
• ORS is also good for your oral health especially after you suffer from severe diarrhoea that can make your gums dry.
• It is also good for patients suffering from hypoglycemia. 
• A doctor may also recommend ORS in case of decreased urinary output. 
• Other medical conditions such as liver diseases, urine acidity and hepatitis also get improved with the use of ORS.

How to Drink ORS?

ORS therapy is considered to be completely safe for people of all ages. However, the recommended amount can vary from person to person. Nursing children should continue ORS alongside breast milk as no other liquid can outweigh the benefits of breastfeeding. As per the recommendations, here are the recommended quantities of ORS.

Children (< 2 years) – 50-100mL followed by each diarrhea episode

Children (2-9 years) – 100-200mL followed by each diarrhoea episode

>10 years – Upto 2L in a day

Alongside ORS, one should avoid the consumption of caffeinated drinks and other sugary drinks to minimize the loss of water from the body. Other than ORS, certain anti-diarrhea medications such as lomotil. are also helpful against diarrhea.

Read more about lomotil tablet uses.

Side Effects of ORS

Now comes the question: are there any side effects of ORS therapy? Here are the few you need to know about:

• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Too much fluid in the body (indicated by puffy eyelids)
• Accumulation of sodium in the body (indicated by fast heart rate, muscle twitching and high blood pressure)
• Swelling of feet

Not everyone experiences these side effects of ORS. Most of the time, these side effects go away as soon as your body becomes habitual to the medicine.

Bottom Line!

There are many benefits of ORS therapy especially in case of diarrhea or dehydration. The therapy is generally considered safe with little or no side effects. However, if anyone experiences these side effects alongside no improvement in diarrhea, it is recommended to seek out medical advice. You can consult the best general physician in Karachi via Healthwire.pk to make informed decisions about your health.