Polydipsia, or why am I
so thirsty all the time?
Polydipsia is a condition that involves excessive thirst on a regular basis. It is caused by diabetes mellitus that has gone undetected and untreated or is being poorly controlled. Excessive thirst is a common characteristic of diabetes in its early stages.
Polydipsia can also occur in those individuals who do not take their diabetic medication as prescribed or for those who are taking a dosage that is not adequate for the stage of the disease that they are in.
Polydipsia takes place because an individual’s blood sugar level is very high. This puts undue strain on the kidneys as they now need to work harder to get rid of the excess sugar. The kidneys then produce more urine which leads to another condition common to diabetics called polyuria (or excessive urination).
This cycle then keeps repeating itself. The diabetic feels excessively thirsty and drinks a great deal in order to replace the fluids that are then excreted through the process of urination.
Causes and Risks Involved in Polydipsia
It is important to ascertain what polydipsia is not. When a person feels exceptionally thirsty because he or she has not been drinking enough fluids (such as when a person is playing sports or spends a lot of time outside on a hot day) this is not a case of polydipsia. As well, people who simply like to drink a lot of fluids do not suffer from this disease.
Excessive thirst can come about as a result of a variety of underlying medical conditions. Uncontrolled diabetes is one of the most common causes. In this case, the blood sugar levels must be properly controlled in order to put an end to the problem.
There is also another condition called diabetes insipidus which can cause a person to urinate more often than normal. This will then lead to dehydration and a need to drink more and more fluids to replenish what has been lost.
Other causes of polydipsia that are less common include
Hormonal imbalances can also lead to excessive thirst. Some examples of these include an overactive thyroid gland (a condition known as hyperthyroidism) or a high level of adrenal hormone, which is known as hyperadrenalism.
Hypernatremia is a high level of salt in the body. Psychogenic polydipsia is a psychiatric condition that leads to excessive thirst for no obvious medical reason. Also, the overuse of certain drugs and medications such as alcohol, caffeine, antihistamines and marijuana can damage a part of the brain called the hypothalamus.
Polydipsia is not a condition that can be prevented. Rather it is a condition that must be treated. In the case of a diabetic individual, it is important to take your medication as it has been prescribed and to check your blood sugar level on a regular basis.
Diabetes that remains uncontrolled over a long period of time can lead to damage to many of the body’s organs and in severe cases can result in death. In most instances however, excessive thirst can be treated without the worry over any serious long-term effects.
Other Symptom pages of interest
Polyuria
Polyphagia
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