write a paragraph on the preparation of a mixture useful for rehydration or maintaining balance of water in the body
Answers
When should ORS be used? When a child has three or more loose stools in a day, begin to give ORS. In addition, for 10–14 days, give children over 6 months of age 20 milligrams of zinc per day (tablet or syrup); give children under 6 months of age 10 milligrams per day (tablet or syrup).
Where can ORS be obtained? In most countries, ORS packets are available from health centres, pharmacies, markets and shops.
How is the ORS drink prepared?
Put the contents of the ORS packet in a clean container. Check the packet for directions and add the correct amount of clean water. Too little water could make the diarrhoea worse.
Add water only. Do not add ORS to milk, soup, fruit juice or soft drinks. Do not add sugar.
Stir well, and feed it to the child from a clean cup. Do not use a bottle.
How much ORS drink to give? Encourage the child to drink as much as possible.
A child under the age of 2 years needs at least 1/4 to 1/2 of a large (250-millilitre) cup of the ORS drink after each watery stool.
A child aged 2 years or older needs at least 1/2 to 1 whole large (250-millilitre) cup of the ORS drink after each watery stool.
What if ORS is not available? Give the child a drink made with 6 level teaspoons of sugar and 1/2 level teaspoon of salt dissolved in 1 litre of clean water.
Be very careful to mix the correct amounts. Too much sugar can make the diarrhoea worse. Too much salt can be extremely harmful to the child.
Making the mixture a little too diluted (with more than 1 litre of clean water) is not harmful.
Maintaining proper water balance in the body is very important at all times.
It is essential to prevent much liquid from being lost from the body.
We can easily make a mixture for re-hydrating ourselves.
We can make a useful oral re-hydration solution by using ingredients that are found in every household.
One of the drinks can be given every time there is a watery stool.
Preferably, these drinks should have sugar for glucose and energy and/ or starches, a little bit of potassium and some sodium.
The following conventional remedies can be helpful in preparing an effective re-hydration solution and can be a suitable drink from preventing loss of too much liquid.
Gruel's (it is a diluted mixture of water and cooked cereals), Rice water and Carrot Soup.
A very good and simple solution for re-hydration can be made by mixing sugar and salt in water.
If it is possible, add some mashed banana or half a cup of orange juice so that the taste gets improved and it can also help in supplying some potassium.