Can I make rehydration solution at home?

A home mix of clean water, sugar and salt is better than nothing in an emergency, but the ratio matters and getting it wrong — especially too much salt — is harmful to a small child. Sachets are cheap and available at every clinic and pharmacy, so use them whenever you can.

Should I stop eating?

No. Continuing to eat, and continuing to breastfeed an infant, helps the gut recover. Starving through diarrhoea is an old idea that has been abandoned.

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Everyday symptoms

Diarrhoea: rehydration first, everything else second

In South Africa the danger from diarrhoea is dehydration, not the diarrhoea itself — and the treatment that saves lives costs almost nothing.

Fluid is the treatment

Most diarrhoea is caused by an infection the body clears on its own within a few days. What causes harm in the meantime is fluid loss — and in small children that can happen fast.

Oral rehydration solution is the standard treatment worldwide and is stocked at every clinic and pharmacy in the country. It is not simply water: the balance of salt and sugar is what allows the gut to absorb fluid while it is inflamed. Plain water does not do the same job, and fizzy drinks and undiluted fruit juice can make diarrhoea worse.

Zinc for children

Zinc supplementation alongside rehydration is recommended for children with diarrhoea. It shortens the episode and reduces the chance of another one in the following months. It is part of standard practice in South African public health facilities, so ask at the clinic.

When to avoid anti-diarrhoeal medicine

Medicines that stop the gut moving, such as loperamide (Imodium), treat the symptom rather than the cause. They can be reasonable for an adult with mild travel-related diarrhoea and no fever.

Get medical help if

There is blood in the stool, or the stool is black.
Diarrhoea lasts longer than a few days, or longer than 24 hours in a small child.
There is a high fever, or severe or constant abdominal pain.
Someone cannot keep fluids down at all.
There are signs of dehydration, especially in a child, an older person, or someone with a long-term condition.
It follows recent antibiotics, or affects someone who is immunocompromised.

Common questions

Can I make rehydration solution at home?: A home mix of clean water, sugar and salt is better than nothing in an emergency, but the ratio matters and getting it wrong — especially too much salt — is harmful to a small child. Sachets are cheap and available at every clinic and pharmacy, so use them whenever you can.
Should I stop eating?: No. Continuing to eat, and continuing to breastfeed an infant, helps the gut recover. Starving through diarrhoea is an old idea that has been abandoned.

Sources

Primary Healthcare Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Medicines ListNational Department of Health, South Africa
The Treatment of Diarrhoea: a manual for physicians and senior health workersWorld Health Organization

Last reviewed 4 August 2026.