How to Make an Oral Rehydration Salts Drink (ORS)

Co-authored by Claudia Carberry, RD, MS

Last Updated: January 5, 2023 References Approved

Oral Cavity 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]
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Research source} 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.

Things You Should Know

Mix dry salt and sugar together before adding clean drinking water, then stir thoroughly and drink up!
Ask your doctor about taking ORS drinks, especially if you have severe diarrhea or vomiting, since ORS drinks prevent dehydration.
Sip ORS drinks throughout the day; you can also drink them with meals. See a doctor if your symptoms don’t go away after drinking the solution.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

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]
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2
Gather the ingredients. To make your own ORS solution, you’ll need:
- table salt (such as Kosher salt, iodized salt or sea salt)
- clean water
- granulated or powdered sugar
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3
Mix the dry ingredients. Add a half-teaspoon (2.5 ml) of table salt and 2 tablespoons (30 ml, or 6 teaspoons) of sugar into a clean container. (Note that size of a "tablespoon" can vary significantly between countries; this recipe uses the US tablespoon.) 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]
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  Research source
  Wilcox WD, Miller JJ. The inaccuracy of three-finger pinch method of determining salt content in homemade sugar-salt solutions. Wilderness Environ Med, 1996;7(2):122-126.}
4
Add one liter of clean drinking water. If you cannot measure out a liter, add four metric cups or about 4¼ US cups of water (a metric cup is 250 ml, each US cup is about 237 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]
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  Research source
  te Loo DM, van der Graaf F, Ten WT. The effect of flavoring oral rehydration solution on its composition and palatability. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr, 2004;39(5):545-548.} 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]
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- ORS solution can be refrigerated for 24 hours. Do not store it any longer.

Method 2

Method 2 of 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 you’re 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 breastfeeding 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]
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Trustworthy Source
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services
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- 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]
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- 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)

Warnings

Always check that the water used is free of contaminants.

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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.

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If diarrhea does not stop after one week, consult a medical professional or a trained health worker.

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