Excessive Thirst

Definition

Excessive thirst is an abnormal feeling of always needing to drink fluids.
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Insulin production and diabetes
Insulin production and diabetes
Alternative Names
Increased thirst; Polydipsia; Excessive thirst
Considerations

Drinking lots of water is usually healthy. However, the urge to drink too much beyond a certain limit may be the result of an underlying disease, either physical or emotional. Excessive thirst may be a symptom of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), and can be an important clue in detecting diabetes.

Excessive thirst is a fairly common symptom. It is often the reaction to fluid loss during exercise, or to eating salty foods.
Common Causes

* A recent salty or spicy meal
* Bleeding enough to cause a significant decrease in blood volume
* Diabetes
* Diabetes insipidus
* Drugs such as anticholinergics, demeclocycline, diuretics, phenothiazines
* Excessive loss of water and salt (possibly due to not drinking enough water, profuse sweating, diarrhea, or vomiting)
* Loss of body fluids from the bloodstream into the tissues due to:
o Conditions such as severe infections (sepsis) or burns
o Heart, liver, or kidney failure
* Psychogenic polydipsia, the result of a mental disorder, is a condition causes a person to drink too much

Home Care

Because thirst is usually the body's signal to replace water loss, it is usually appropriate to drink plenty of liquids.

A very strong, constant urge to drink may be a sign of a psychological problem, which may mean psychological help is needed.

For thirst caused by diabetes, follow the prescribed treatment to properly control blood sugar levels.
Call your health care provider if

* Excessive thirst is persistent and unexplained
* Thirst is accompanied by other unexplained symptoms, such as blurry vision and fatigue
* You are passing more than 5 quarts of urine per day

What to expect at your health care provider's office

The health care provider will get your medical history and perform a physical examination.

Medical history questions may include the following:

* How long have you been aware of having increased thirst?
* Is it consistent during the day?
* Is it worse during the day?
* Did it develop suddenly or slowly?
* Are you eating more salty or spicy foods?
* How much salt do you have each day?
* Did you change your diet?
* Have you noticed an increased appetite?
* Have you noticed an unintentional weight gain?
* Have you noticed an unintentional weight loss?
* Has your activity level recently increased?
* What other symptoms are happening at the same time?
* Have you recently suffered a burn or other injury?
* Are you urinating more or less frequently than usual?
* Are you producing more or less urine than usual?
* Have you noticed any bleeding?
* Are you sweating more than usual?
* Is there any swelling in your body?
* Do you have a fever?

A psychological evaluation may be recommended if compulsive thirst of psychological origin is suspected. Fluid intake and output will be closely watched.

Diagnostic tests that may be performed include the following:

* Urinalysis
* CBC and blood differential
* Serum calcium
* Blood glucose level
* Urine osmolality
* Serum osmolality
* Serum sodium