Excessive thirst – what diseases can it indicate?

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Excessive thirst causes us to drink more fluids than under normal conditions, which in turn leads to polyuria. The increased thirst is sometimes accompanied by a decrease in salivation. Possible causes of this condition are febrile illness, neurosis or diabetes. Excessive thirst also occurs under the influence of high temperature.

What about this excessive desire?

Excessive thirst is known in medicine as polydipsia. This ailment is characterized by drinking a large amount of fluids (even 5 liters per day), which is often accompanied by increased fluid excretion from the body, i.e. polyuria.

Excessive thirst is a symptom of many ailments, including endocrine disorders and diabetes. In some people, the underlying cause of this condition may lie in the psyche. This symptom should not be ignored, especially if it persists for an extended period of time. You should also not panic, because excessive thirst is also a natural state, e.g. after intense exercise or eating very spicy food.

What are the causes of excessive thirst?

As already mentioned, the cause of excessive thirst in healthy people may be exercise or high ambient temperature. Thirst then arises from overheating the body and losing a lot of water (sweat). Then we consume fluids to prevent dehydration. The feeling of excessive thirst is also the domain of people who love spicy dishes and those that contain a lot of salt. Capsaicin contained in spicy foods affects pain receptors and thus causes a burning sensation in the mouth, which is quenched by drinking a large amount of water.

The most common causes of excessive thirst include:

1. feverish states (in the course of a cold or flu, high temperature helps to fight infection. High fever is accompanied by excessive sweating and, consequently, salt retention in the body. to dehydrate the body);
2. gastrointestinal complaints (prolonged vomiting, severe diarrhea, peritonitis, narrowing of the esophagus and pylorus) – these may lead to dehydration of the body. Then, excessive thirst will also be accompanied by a dry mouth and an accelerated heartbeat.
3. endocrine diseases such as: diabetes mellitus (a large amount of water is needed to dilute blood sugar), diabetes insipidus (excessive thirst is accompanied by pollakiuria and dry skin), hyperparathyroidism (a condition characterized by impaired calcium management), acromegaly (excessive secretion by pituitary growth hormone), primary aldosteronism (also known as Conn’s syndrome; excess aldosterone secretion stops sodium and potassium excretion);
4. storage diseases (genetically determined; metabolic defect), e.g. anemia, renal failure;
5. profuse hemorrhages,
6. the use of certain preparations (e.g. atropine, salicylates),
7. severe neuroses,
8. kidney failure.

Excessive thirst can also be triggered by consuming too much alcohol. Alcohol is a substance that reduces the amount of vasopressin, a hormone that is produced by the pituitary gland and responsible for telling the kidneys to absorb water. Water that is not retained in the kidneys enters the bladder and is eliminated from the body. The consequence is dehydration and excessive thirst.

The less common causes of excessive thirst include:

1. overdose of vitamin A and D.
2. neoplastic diseases,
3. adrenal insufficiency,
4. overactive thyroid gland
5. hypercalcemia,
6. primary hyperparathyroidism.

Excessive thirst and diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is the most common cause of excessive thirst, especially in type I diabetics. In addition to excessive thirst, there is also polyuria and uncontrolled weight loss. Polydipsia occurs in diabetics because the disease is accompanied by polyuria. Thus, excessive fluid loss causes the body to signal excessive thirst, which results in drinking a large amount of fluids, in order to compensate for losses and prevent dehydration.

Pregnancy and excessive thirst

Excessive thirst can also occur in pregnant women. Drinking more than 3 liters of fluid a day is particularly worrying as this indicates gestational diabetes. This condition occurs in women who did not have problems with blood sugar levels before becoming pregnant. Gestational diabetes, in addition to excessive thirst, causes symptoms in the form of frequent urination and constant fatigue (despite rest).

Excessive thirst in endocrine diseases

Examples of diseases in which there is excessive thirst include diabetes insipidus and hyperthyroidism.

1. Diabetes insipidus – the most characteristic symptom is excessive thirst, polyuria and the inability to concentrate the urine. Diabetes insipidus can be central or renal. In the first case, there are disorders that result in a lower synthesis and secretion of vasopressin, i.e. an antidiuretic hormone. Central iris is most common in people with neoplastic diseases of the pituitary gland and the brain. It also happens with head injuries. Renal diabetes insipidus, on the other hand, is characterized by the proper secretion of vasopressin, but the problem is disturbances in the renal tubular response to this hormone. This type of diabetes insipidus is usually seen in renal tubular problems and in chronic kidney disease.

2. Hyperthyroidism – Excessive thirst is one of the symptoms of thyroid problems. In addition to polydipsia, constant fatigue, hot flushes, sleep problems, weight loss and excessive nervousness are also observed. The excessive thirst in an overactive thyroid gland results from the constant stimulation of the body, which needs more fluid to meet its needs than under normal conditions. It is also caused by too much calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia).

Excessive thirst on a psychological basis

Psychogenic excessive thirst is a condition that is caused by the psyche. Very often the problem appears in young children who want to relieve stressful situations in this way. This also applies to adults, who are particularly prone to stress, which makes their mouth dry. In order to get rid of it, they consume a lot of fluids. However, this only gives a temporary improvement. Psychogenic polydipsia may occur in mentally ill people, e.g. schizophrenics, but it is not a typical symptom of this disease. The diagnosis of this ailment is made only after excluding other pathologies that may be manifested by excessive thirst. The therapy is based on the exclusion of stressful situations and the help of a psychotherapist.

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