World ORS Day 2024: Create Awareness about the Magic Mixture

Every year on July 29th, the world comes together to celebrate World Ors Day highlighting the importance of a humble drink: Oral Rehydration Solution. It was discovered by an Indian, Dr. Dilip Mahalanabis who was voluntarily serving in the refugee camp of Bongaon, West Bengal during the war of 1971. His simple mixture saved thousands of lives from Cholera, the dreaded epidemic India faced at that time. This discovery is hence considered the most important medical discovery in the 20th century. It was unbelievable what a simple mixture of glucose, salt and water can do to save lives. 

In 2001, The Indian Academy Of Paediatrics established World Oral Rehydration Salts Day, intending to lower cases of child deaths due to diarrhoea.

Why is ORS DayImportant in Public Health?

This day serves as a poignant reminder of the fight against dehydration and diarrhoea with the most basic intervention which has proved to have a profound impact on public health especially in terms of child deaths caused by dehydration and diarrhoea. 

Dehydration can happen due to the following reasons: 

• Diarrhoea can be a major cause of dehydration along with severe vomiting as it can cause fluid and essential salt losses. It happens fast and since intake and absorption of fluid becomes difficult due to nausea and an upset stomach, it often leads to severe dehydration if fluid intake is not restored.
• Sweating is a natural phenomenon of human body to maintain temperature balance. During summer due to the sweltering heat, profuse sweating is inevitable as the body releases the toxins along with water. If this excess loss in the fluid is not replaced by a regular replenishment of water, dehydration occurs quite quickly.
• Uncontrolled Urination is another reason for dehydration. If you suffer from diabetes or high blood pressure, ensure you drink enough water to keep yourself hydrated. Since blood glucose level reaches its peak in highly diabetic patients, it causes frequent urination resulting in unwanted fluid loss. The medicine used to treat high blood pressure heightens the urination frequency leading to ultimately to severe dehydration. 

Symptoms

The symptoms of dehydration may seem obvious to you. But it is not always the feeling of thirst that points towards dehydration. It may vary with age as well. For children, the most common symptoms include: 

• Dryness of mouth or tongue
• Tears drying up 
• For infants and toddlers diapers can go dry for as long as 3 hours.
• Sunken and dull face.
• Irritable and upset child crying relentlessly
• Tired and fatigued child.

For adults, the symptoms may be: 

• Extreme thirst
• Dark concentrated urine
• Severe fatigue
• Dizziness and disorientation
• Rapid irregular heartbeat
• Breathlessness

What are the Benefits of ORS?

It is crucial to drink extra fluids as soon as diarrhoea starts to maintain the fluid and salt balance of the body. You can treat yourself to some soup, juices or home-made energy drinks along with water to maintain clear urine and satisfy frequent thirst. As dehydration tends to affect children and elderly adults with underlying medical issues, more severely ORS works wonders for them.  

It is advisable to use commercially available ORS rather than homemade ones, as homemade ones are not strong enough to treat severe dehydration conditions. The water used for preparing the solution should be boiled or treated for hygiene. You should consume ORS within 12 hours of preparation if kept at room temperature or should be discarded. The benefits that this drink brings to a patient are: 

1. Rehydration: The water in the solution replenishes the dehydrated cells as it replaces the lost fluids.
2. Replacement of Salts: The sodium, potassium and chlorides or electrolytes are required for the normal functioning of the central nervous system and the muscles of your body. Along with fluids these also need to be replenished to avoid any complications or aggravation of any associated chronic condition. 
3. Sugar Absorption: The glucose content of the ORS helps the absorption of electrolytes and water from the intestine to the bloodstream.

However, dosage and preparation of ORS should be carefully considered as per recommended amounts by the World Health Organisation which specifies how much electrol powder to drink in a day as per age.

For children under 2 years, an amount of 50 to 100 ml of ORS after each episode of diarrhoea is appropriate. Children aged 2 to 9 years need to drink 100 to 200 ml of ORS, after each episode of diarrhoea. For a person 10 years and older, an adequate amount of ORS can be up to 2 litres a day depending on the severity of the situation.

Along with these important points, you also need to understand that having an insurance policy helps in case the situation turns worse and you need a quick hospital visit. Health insurance not only helps in covering the treatment expenses along with other defined benefits but also covers the emergency ambulance costs for transporting the patient to the hospital. Also, cashless benefit is a plus. 

Does ORS Have Side Effects?

Excess of even good things can lead to soured experiences. If the ORS is used as recommended then it becomes the  safest and most trusted treatment for dehydration. However, an excess amount of it may cause some mild side effects like mild nausea or vomiting, worsen existing diarrhoea, and give you stomach aches. Rarely, but possibly it can cause some serious side effects like electrolyte imbalances if not prepared as per directions and kidney problems. If you face such symptoms, do not hesitate to contact your physician for advice. 

World ORS Day Theme 2024

This day serves many purposes, raising awareness about the use of ORS, preventing conditions causing severe diarrhoea and ensuring accessibility of ORS to children and older adults through regular pharmacies and hospitals. 

• The day aims to create awareness globally about this mixture which has become a lifesaver for diarrhoea-induced dehydration. The awareness involves educating healthcare professionals, and families having infants, toddlers and elderly as members about proper usage and effectiveness of ORS. Educational campaigns and community workshops play a vital role in achieving educational purposes. 
• The importance of preventive measures cannot be undermined and proper hygiene, clean water, and basic sanitation are crucial to any healthy environment for kids and adults alike.
• It also helps to encourage easy accessibility of ORS, especially in remote areas or areas with higher cases of diarrhoea-related incidents. Promoting homemade alternatives with readily available ingredients can also serve to combat severe dehydration.

These points sum up the theme for this day. In 2023, the theme declared was O-only, R-rational, S- Solution for diarrhoea, with the slogan “Oral Rehydration, No More Dehydration” which emphasises the effectiveness and simplicity of this mixture in treatment. 

In Conclusion 

World ORS Day celebrates simple and effective healthcare solutions for a healthier future for the vulnerable sections of society. The educational campaigns and understanding of conditions like diarrhoea and dehydration help limit unwanted deaths and diseases in areas where awareness about hygiene, and sanitation is a distant reality. 

Disclaimer: The above information is for reference purposes only. Kindly consult your general physician for verified medical advice. The health insurance benefits are subject to policy terms and conditions. Refer to your policy documents for more information.