Thirst - excessive
Definition
Excessive thirst is an abnormal feeling of always needing to drink fluids.
Alternative Names
Increased thirst; Polydipsia; Excessive thirstConsiderations
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.
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:
- Conditions such as severe infections (sepsis) or burns
- Heart, liver, or kidney failure
- Psychogenic polydipsia, the result of a mental disorder, is a condition causes a person to drink too much
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