What Are Oral Rehydration Salts?
Oral rehydration salts are a mixture of salts used in rehydration therapy. This type of therapy is offered to patients with vomiting and diarrhea to replenish water lost over the course of their illness. Oral rehydration therapy is so simple that it can be performed at home, although it is also offered in medical facilities. When people experience severe diarrhea in particular, their bodies lose a lot of water, and the electrolyte balance of the body also becomes disturbed. In the developing world, one of the leading causes of death, especially among children, is diarrheal diseases. This could easily be prevented by ensuring that patients were properly hydrated. While hydration can be accomplished with intravenous or subcutaneous infusion of fluids, it can also be done by mouth, and offering fluids by mouth is easier that setting up an infusion.
