Thirst, excessive

Alternative names:

excessive thirst; increased thirst; polydipsia

Definition:

An abnormal feeling of constant thirst.

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.