Thirst

Thirst - Illnesses & conditions | NHS inform Home Illnesses and conditions Symptoms and self-help Tests and treatments Healthy living Care, support and rights Scotlands Service Directory 0 Home Illnesses and conditions Nutritional Thirst Thirst About thirst About thirst Feeling thirsty all the time and for no good reason isnt normal and should be investigated by your GP. Thirst is normally justthe brains way of warning that youre dehydrated because youre not drinking enough fluid. Butexcessive and persistent thirst (known aspolydipsia) could be a sign ofan underlying problem such as diabetes . Common causes of thirst Dehydration You will usually feel thirsty because youre notdrinking the amount of fluid your body needs. This may be because youve been sweating heavily or youve lost fluid because you have diarrhoea and are vomiting . You can soon quench your thirst and restore the fluid balance in your body by having a drink and ensuring you remain well hydrated. Itsparticularly important to stay well hydratedduring hot weather, while exercising and while youre unwell with vomiting and diarrhoea. Food In some cases, thirst may be caused by something as simple as a recent meal or snack. Eatingsalty or spicy foods can cause you to suddenly feel thirsty. Diabetes If you feel thirsty all the time, it could be a sign of diabetes particularly if you also have other symptoms such as needing to urinate frequently, extreme tiredness (fatigue) andunexplained weight loss. Diabetes is a lifelong condition that makes it difficult to control the level of sugar (glucose) in your blood. The high levels of glucose can mean your kidneys need to produce more urine to help pass the glucose out of your body. This can make you feel thirsty because your brain is telling you to drink more to make up for the fluids youve lost. If you feel thirsty all the time and have other symptoms, your GP will probably carry out a blood glucose test to see whether you have diabetes. Pregnancy Feeling thirsty, as well as urinating more often than usual, is a common symptom in pregnancy and usually nothing to worry about. Very occasionally, these problems can be a sign of gestational diabetes (a type of diabetes that affects women during pregnancy). You should be screened for this as part of your antenatal care if youre at risk. Medication Excessive thirst cansometimes be a side effect of certain types of medication, including lithium, certain antipsychotics and diuretics (water tablets). If you think a particular medicine is causing your thirst, it may be possible to change to a different medicine or reduce your dose. Speak to your GP about this. Other causes of thirst There are also many other potential causes of severe thirst. These include: diabetes insipidus  a condition caused by problems with a hormone that regulates the amount of fluid in the body diabetic ketoacidosis  a dangerous complication of diabetes caused by a lack of the hormone insulin in the body sickle cell aneamia  an inherited blood disorder psychogenic polydipsia  where a person with a mental health condition, such as schizophrenia , drinks excessive amounts of water that cant be excreted (got rid of) by the kidneys excessive bleeding Source: NHS 24 - Opens in new browser window Last updated: 10 March 2023 How can we improve this page? Help us improve NHS inform Thank You Your feedback has been received Dont include personal information e.g. name, location or any personal health conditions. Email Address e.g. you@example.com Message Maximum of 500 characters Send feedback Add this page to\n            Info For Me Also on NHS inform Dehydration Other health sites Diabetes UK Diabetes.co.uk: excessive thirst NHS inform About NHS inform Editorial policy Contact us Webchat Give feedback about NHS inform Info for Me tool Terms and conditions Privacy and cookies policy Freedom of information (FOI) Accessibility Other languages and formats  2023 NHS 24  v1.1.1.17852