Thirst, excessive

Considerations:
Drinking lots of water is usually healthy. However, beyond a certain limit the desire to drink excessively may reflect an underlying disease, either physical or emotional.

Excessive thirst can be an important clue in detecting diabetes . There are thousands of diabetics in the U.S. who are either undiagnosed or inadequately treated.

Excessive thirst, a fairly common symptom, is often the reaction to fluid loss during exercise or intake of salty foods.

Common Causes:
  • excessive loss of water and salt (as in profuse sweating )
  • a recent salty, spicy meal
  • diabetes mellitus or diabetes insipidus
  • drugs including anticholinergics, demeclocycline, diuretics, phenothiazines
  • bleeding enough to cause a significant decrease in blood volume
  • loss of body fluids from the bloodstream to the tissues
    • can occur with conditions such as severe infections ( sepsis ) and with burns

  • psychogenic polydipsia

Note: There may be other causes of excessive thirst. This list is not all inclusive, and the causes are not presented in order of likelihood. The causes of this symptom can include unlikely diseases and medications. Furthermore, the causes may vary based on age and gender of the affected person, as well as on the specific characteristics of the symptom such as quality, time course, aggravating factors, relieving factors, and associated complaints. Use the Symptom Analysis option to explore the possible explanations for excessive thirst, occurring alone or in combination with other problems.

Home Care:
Because thirst is usually the body's way of replacing water loss, it is usually advisable to drink plenty of liquids.

For compulsive thirst, get psychological help.

For diabetes mellitus , follow prescribed therapy to properly control blood sugar levels .

Call Your Healthcare Provider If:

  • excessive thirst is persistent and unexplained, or accompanied by other unexplained symptoms.
  • you are passing more than 5 quarts of urine a day.



What to Expect:
The medical history will be obtained and a physical examination performed.

Medical history questions documenting excessive thirst in detail may include:

  • time pattern
    • How long has the increased thirst been noticed?
    • Is the excessive thirst consistent during the day?
    • Is it worse during the day?
    • Did it develop suddenly or slowly?

  • eating habits
    • Has intake of salty or spicy foods increased?
    • How much salt is eaten each day?
    • Have you changed your diet?

  • exercise
    • Has activity level recently increased?

  • other

A general physical examination will be performed, and a psychological evaluation may be recommended if compulsive thirst (of psychologic origin) is suspected. Fluid intake and output will be closely monitored.

Diagnostic tests that may be performed are:

After seeing your health care provider:
You may want to add a diagnosis related to excessive thirst to your personal medical record.