Diarrhea - Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) and Herbal Remedies in Nigeria

Diarrhea – Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) and Herbal Remedies in Nigeria: Diarrhea remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children under five in Nigeria, accounting for over 16% of deaths in this age group. Annually, about 150,000 Nigerian children under five die from diarrhea and its complications like dehydration. However, a considerable number of these deaths can be prevented by the use of low-cost interventions like oral rehydration salts (ORS) solution and herbal remedies. Firstly, ORS is a mixture of clean water, salt, and sugar which is absorbed in the small intestine to replace fluids and electrolytes lost through diarrhea. ORS can prevent and treat dehydration by replacing fluids and allowing the child to fight the infection causing diarrhea. Also, some medicinal herbs like pineapple, guava leaves, garlic, ginger, and honey have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antidiarrheal properties that can help treat diarrhea. Hence, ORS and herbal remedies are simple, accessible and affordable solutions that can significantly reduce diarrhea deaths in Nigerian children if properly harnessed.Information Guide Nigeria

However, the scale-up of ORS and herbal remedies faces barriers like lack of awareness, unavailability of premixed ORS, unstandardized herbal preparations, cultural beliefs, and continued prescription of antibiotics for diarrhea. There is a need to intensify public health campaigns to promote ORS and herbal remedies while addressing the barriers limiting their optimal use in Nigeria. When properly promoted, ORS and herbs can save millions of Nigerian children from preventable diarrhea deaths. This article provides essential information on ORS and common antidiarrheal herbs in Nigeria, their preparation, usefulness and correct administration to curtail the impact of diarrhea.

Causes and Risk Factors for Diarrhea

To start with, diarrhea means passing loose, watery stools three or more times a day. Several factors can cause diarrhea with the most common ones being infections, food intolerance, reactions to medicines, and functional disorders. Infections from virus, bacteria, or parasites are the leading cause of diarrhea globally and in Nigeria. Specifically, rotavirus, E. coli bacteria, and cryptosporidium parasites often cause diarrhea in Nigerian children. Also, consuming contaminated food or water can introduce these infectious organisms and cause diarrhea.Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS)

Additionally, diarrhea risk factors in the country include poor sanitation and hygiene, malnutrition, weak immunity, not being breastfed, and use of antibiotics. Primarily, diarrhea-causing microbes spread through the fecal-oral route where bacteria or viruses from infected feces enter another person’s mouth. Hence, poor handwashing practices and drinking contaminated water facilitates transmission. Again, malnutrition and low immunity increase susceptibility while antibiotics alter gut flora allowing pathogens or antibiotic-resistant bacteria like Clostridioides difficile to cause antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Therefore, infections, poor hygiene and nutrition substantially contribute to Nigeria’s high diarrhea burden.

Dehydration and Its Danger in Diarrheal Disease

Moreover, the frequent passage of loose stools leads to significant loss of water and electrolytes like sodium and potassium from diarrhea. Consequently, dehydration setting in which the loss of body fluids exceeds intake. If untreated, dehydration can progress from mild to moderate and severe forms with worsening symptoms. Initially, mild dehydration features thirst, irritability, decreased urination and skin elasticity. Later, moderate dehydration presents sunken eyes, dry mouth, lack of tears, weak rapid pulse and low blood pressure. Finally, severe dehydration shows shriveled skin, rapid breathing, weak pulse, cool arms and legs, confusion and unconsciousness. This gradual dehydration impacts normal body functions and can cause hypovolemic shock, seizures, organ damage and death. Hence, preventing and treating dehydration using ORS is vital in diarrhea care.Top 15 AI Apps for Image and Articles

Oral Rehydration Salts Solution (ORS)

Fundamentally, oral rehydration solution consists of clean water, salt, and sugar to replace both water and electrolytes lost in diarrhea. Specifically, Oral Rehydration Salts contains 3.5g sodium chloride, 2.5g potassium chloride and 2.9g trisodium citrate or citric acid per liter. Adding this mixture of salts and sugar to water aids absorption of the fluid from ORS into the bloodstream even during diarrhea. Hence, ORS successfully prevents and treats dehydration without stopping the loose stools.Fire guts singer Small Doctor’s house

Moreover, taking ORS requires no needles, IV lines or hospitalization thus allowing home-based treatment. It’s easy preparation and administration also makes ORS ideal for low-resource settings like rural areas. Further, ORS is very safe with no risk of overdose since excess solution gets passed in stool. These attributes have made the WHO endorse ORS as first-line treatment for diarrhea and member countries like Nigeria adopt its use in diarrhea control programs.Dollar to Naira

Using Oral Rehydration Salts

Practically, preparing ORS requires dissolving one ORS packet in one liter of clean drinking water. Boiled and cooled water or bottled water give the best results. Also, adding half a cup of fruit juice, coconut water or mashed banana to the ORS water can improve taste. Afterwards, the ORS solution should be fed to the child by cup and spoon every 5 minutes for ongoing losses until diarrhea resolves. Notably, zinc tablets provide added benefit to ORS by reducing stool frequency, diarrhea duration and preventing future episodes. Hence, administering zinc daily for 10-14 days alongside ORS maximizes outcomes.JAMB Result

However, misconceptions that ORS prolongs diarrhea often limit its utilization in Nigeria. But research shows ORS shortens diarrhea episodes by preventing dehydration unlike skiping ORS and just using antibiotics. Therefore, public education on ORS safety and efficacy can improve acceptance and access in Nigeria. Overall, appropriate use of ORS and zinc tablets is critical to preventing hundreds of thousands of diarrhea deaths among Nigerian children annually.

Common Antidiarrheal Herbs in Nigeria

Certainly, some indigenous herbs have beneficial actions in treating diarrhea too and are quite popular in Nigeria. Key examples include Guava leaves (Psidium guajava), Pawpaw (Carica papaya), Pineapple (Ananas comosus), Garlic (Allium sativum) and Ginger (Zingiber officinale). These local herbs feature bioactive compounds that combat microbes causing diarrhea, relieve gut inflammation and reduce intestinal motility. Specifically, Guava leaves contain quercetin and essential oils that inhibit bacterial enterotoxins and intestinal motility. Also, the Papain enzyme in Pawpaw softens stool while Bromelain enzymes in Pineapple improve protein digestion reducing diarrhea. Furthermore, the allicin compound in Garlic has broad antimicrobial effects. Likewise, the Gingerols and Shogaols in Ginger tackle gut inflammation, pain, bloating and diarrhea.NYSC Portal

Moreover, these herbs rarely cause adverse effects and have cultural acceptance in Nigeria. Hence, integrating them into diarrhea treatment programs can boost caregiver compliance. However, issues like lack of standardization, scientific validation, dosage guidelines and potential herb-drug interactions limit their incorporation into mainstream medicine. Nevertheless, these abundant, familiar and affordable herbs remain viable options for diarrhea control in Nigerian children when prepared appropriately.Good Morning my love Messages

Preparing Herbal Remedies for Diarrhea

Common preparatory methods for antidiarrheal herbs in Nigeria include decoctions, infusions, powders, juices and concoctions. For decoctions, ingredients like guava or pawpaw leaves get boiled for 10-15 minutes then cooled and administered in cups. Infusions require steeping herbs like guava leaves in hot water for 5 minutes then drinking the tea-like preparation. Further, grinding dried herbs into powder form allows adding to foods or mixing powders like ginger and garlic into warm water before drinking. Also, expressing juice from fresh guava, pawpaw or pineapple to drink works well. Finally, concoctions entail specific herb combinations in set ratios boiled with clean water, cooled then administered by cup. Overall, these simple preparatory techniques allow harnessing the antidiarrheal properties in herbs for home-based diarrhea treatment. However, following recommended dosages is vital and further research should standardize herbal preparations.Romantic Love Messages for her

Read Also: 15 Best Home Remedies in Nigeria

Conclusion

In conclusion, diarrhea remains a leading pediatric killer in Nigeria accounting for over 150,000 under-five deaths annually. However, ORS solution and herbal remedies offer accessible, affordable solutions to curtail dehydration and tide diarrhea. ORS in particular, saves lives by replacing fluids and electrolytes lost in diarrhea stools allowing children to overcome the infection. Additionally, several indigenous herbs contain beneficial phytochemicals that can help manage diarrhea symptoms. Hence, optimizing ORS and herb use alongside zinc tablets provides an impactful approach to reducing Nigeria’s alarming diarrhea morbidity and mortality rates. However, barriers like awareness, cultural beliefs, unstandardized herbal formulations and supply issues must be tackled through policy and public health initiatives. Overall, ORS and herbal remedies properly harnessed and integrated can significantly cut preventable diarrhea deaths and create a future where no Nigerian child dies from diarrhea.JAMB Portal

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