Strong thirst. Increased thirst

When thirst strikes, the reason is usually clear: you are not consuming enough H2O. But your mouth turning into Sahara can also hint that you have a medical condition. Any sensation that changes your balance of water or salt in your body can make you thirsty. If you stick good methods hydration (your urine should be in the light yellow to clear range), but still feel dehydrated, you should see a doctor right away.

What is thirst?

Polydipsia is a term given to excessive thirst and is one of the first symptoms of diabetes. This is usually accompanied by temporary or prolonged dryness of the mouth. We all get thirsty at different times during the day. Adequate daily water intake is very important, as it is essential for many bodily functions, including body temperature regulation and waste disposal. However, if you feel thirsty all the time, or if it is stronger than usual and continues even after you drink, then this may be a sign of an illness inside your body.

Primary polydipsia describes excessive thirst and water consumption caused by a lack of physiological stimuli to drink. This includes both psychogenic primary polydipsia and non-psychogenic primary polydipsia, for example, in patients with autoimmune chronic hepatitis with severe elevated levels globulin. Psychogenic polydipsia is an excessive water intake seen in some patients with mental illness such as schizophrenia, disability. This should be taken very seriously as the amount of water consumed exceeds the amount that can be excreted by the kidneys and is in rare cases life-threatening as the body's serum sodium levels are diluted to the point that convulsions and cardiac arrest occur.

Excessive fluid intake can lead to a false diagnosis without diabetes because chronic water consumption often produces diagnostic results that accurately mimic the symptoms of the suspected disease.

Causes of thirst

The causes of thirst can be caused by various factors. Most often, any cause is determined only with the help of specialists. Timely elimination will help to establish water balance and restore the body's strength. The main reasons may include:

eating salty or spicy foods;
disease;
physical activity;
diarrhea;
vomiting;
burns;
significant blood loss
certain prescription drugs, including lithium, diuretics, and some antipsychotics.

In order to accurately know the cause of dehydration and unquenchable thirst, it is necessary to consider each factor separately. There is a big risk that a strong desire to drink water is associated with the presence of a certain disease. Thirst is the first signal that there are problems in the body and the body's simplest reaction to diseases that we so often miss.

Diabetes

Diabetes can increase your risk of dehydration, especially if you don't already know about it. When blood sugar levels are too high, the body puts pressure on the kidneys to produce more urine to get rid of the excess glucose. Frequent urination, another common symptom that causes thirst. This leads to the consumption of more liquid and creates a problem. If you experience excessive thirst and frequent urination, as well as other symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, fatigue, or irritability, then you should have a blood glucose test to find out if you have diabetes.

diabetes insipidus

Although diabetes insipidus is not related to conventional diabetes, it shares the same signs and symptoms (dehydration and brisk urination). The disease is characterized by a hormonal imbalance in the body that affects water absorption. Because you end up losing huge amounts of water through your urine, thirst sets in and your body tries to make up for the fluid loss. Since there are several types diabetes insipidus and it can be caused by other conditions, your doctor will perform many tests to determine which treatment option is best for your body.

Monthly cycle

During the menstrual period, you may feel the desire to drink plenty of water - this is an absolute norm. Estrogen and progesterone levels affect fluid volume. If we add to this the loss of blood from the cycle itself, especially with copious discharge, then the result will be a compensatory increase in thirst.

Dry mouth

Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, is often mistaken for excessive thirst. This is an abnormal dryness of the mucous membranes in the mouth due to decreased flow or a change in saliva composition. If the glands do not produce enough saliva, then this can lead to other unpleasant symptoms such as bad breath, sticky saliva. Dry mouth is a side effect of prescription drugs, allergy medications, and vertigo medications. There are also several diseases that can cause dry mouth, so this question always worth discussing with your doctor.

Anemia

Permanent or sudden blood loss can occur due to problems such as heavy periods, bleeding ulcers (the most common cause of anemia). The body is losing red blood cells faster than it can be replaced and tries to compensate for the loss of fluid by causing thirst. A very common but unrecognized cause of heavy periods is poor performance. thyroid gland. Up to 70% of people experience some degree of thyroid deficiency, resulting in extreme thirst. A physical exam and blood test will determine if you have anemia, and the treatment you receive depends on the type in the diagnosis.

Low blood pressure

Chronic stress leads to impaired adrenal function, which can lead to low blood pressure. This can cause dizziness, depression, anxiety, as well as a strong desire to drink.

Thirst is the body's way of adding more water to the blood in order to raise blood pressure. Indeed, the only long-term solution is stress reduction and better management.

Diet

Foods that have a diuretic effect (celery, asparagus, beets, lemons, melons, ginger, and parsley) can make you crave water (it causes frequent urination). While these foods have many health benefits, you should consider this effect as another reason to include plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet: nutrient bases are covered and thirst is kept in check. In this way, you can balance the weight by consuming more fluid-rich foods: oatmeal and brown rice (they absorb water during the cooking process).

Thirst symptoms

It's normal to feel thirsty after eating spicy foods or doing intense exercise (especially when it's hot outside). But, sometimes the desire to drink water is stronger than usual and does not stop even after you drink. You may experience blurred vision and fatigue, symptoms of excessive thirst that can signal a serious illness.

The main symptoms and causes of the phenomenon can be:

constant desire to drink water;
inability to quench thirst even with heavy drinking;
frequent urination;
blurred vision;
dizziness and confusion in the head.

When to seek medical help?

To stay healthy, you need to drink fluids regularly throughout the day. You can increase your water intake with water-rich foods such as celery, watermelon, tomatoes, oranges, melons.

A good way to know if you're getting enough fluid is to test your urine. If she is light and has no strong odor you are probably getting enough fluid. Every organ, tissue and cell in your body needs water. It helps the body maintain a normal temperature, lubricates and softens the joints, protects spinal cord and rid the body of sweat, urination and defecation. Remember that you should drink more fluids when you are outside in hot weather, have diarrhea or vomiting, and if you have a fever. If you are unable to replenish the fluid you are losing, you may become dehydrated. Overdrying also leads to a significant decrease in the level of sodium in the blood, which can provoke seizures (especially if it develops quickly).

Thirst is your body's way of telling you that your body is low on fluid. Under normal conditions, you should quickly quench it. However, if your urge to drink remains constant or doesn't go away after drinking, it could be a sign of a serious health problem, especially when combined with other symptoms. This constant desire to drink is also accompanied with a psychological problem. You should consult your doctor if your thirst is too strong, no matter how much you drink per day. It is also worth going to a specialist if you have thirst and frequent dizziness, severe hunger, or sores that do not heal. If you urinate more than five times a day, this is one reason to visit a doctor.

To determine the cause of excessive, unresolved thirst, your doctor will ask you for a complete medical history, including any previously diagnosed conditions. Be prepared to list all of your prescription and over-the-counter medications and supplements. Some questions your doctor might ask include: how long ago did you know about your symptoms, do you also urinate more than usual, did your symptoms start slowly or suddenly. All this will help in identifying factors and treating persistent thirst.

People who are thirsty all the time often do not even think that this state of affairs is not the norm. They do not even notice how they drain countless glasses, mugs and bottles of liquid, whether it be tea, coffee, juice, compote, mineral water or just water. Even their relatives get used to such "peculiarities" of behavior and do not pay attention. In fact, finding the root cause is very important for health.

To maintain water-salt balance
To ensure thermoregulation
To improve well-being
To ensure normal metabolism
For blood thinning
To lubricate joints
For energy
To improve digestion

According to studies, the average daily intake of liquid for a person is about two liters. But some drinkers manage to drink much more. Some do not even experience discomfort in the form of frequent visits to the toilet or a full stomach. Why do you always want to drink? Where does the desire to saturate the body with life-giving moisture come from?

Reasons for frequent hunting to get drunk:

False drinks.

It has been proven that any liquid other than water is not able to truly quench your thirst. After all, only H2O is a drink for the body, and everything else is food. Moreover, some drinks, especially sweet or alcoholic ones, cause dehydration. Everyone knows what dry land is in the morning after drinking strong drinks in the evening. Also cause thirst for lemonade and cola due to increased blood sugar.

Wrong drinking process.

If you quickly drink a lot (1-3 liters) of water or other liquid in large sips, then the stomach will be filled immediately, and the thirst will not recede. Because the brain will process the signal about receiving moisture only for 10 minutes. It is not surprising that during this time you will want to drink more and more, especially if it was not possible to drink right away.

With kidney and heart failure, diabetes, liver disease, constant thirst is observed. This is due to a violation of the functions of vital organs, while the water balance of the body is disturbed, because too much fluid is excreted uncontrollably.

Trauma or pathology of the brain.

The center responsible for the feeling of thirst is located in the brain, if it is damaged due to injury or affected by a tumor, then it sends distorted signals.

Environment.

If a person is in conditions of dry and warm air, he will be thirsty all the time, because the flow of fluid in the body will increase due to the drying of the mucous membranes and increased sweating.

Wrong nutrition.

It is known that after eating salty, sweet, smoked, spicy and starchy foods, it draws on water. It is quite logical that if you eat such foods all the time, then the thirst will not disappear, because the body will need water to assimilate "heavy" food and remove the harmful substances contained in it.

Work specifics.

People who, by virtue of their profession, have to talk a lot (teachers, politicians, presenters, etc.) often experience thirst due to the drying of the oral mucosa. Who works in dry warm rooms, especially physically. After all, the amount of fluid excreted by the body increases to maintain normal body temperature.

Smoking, alcohol, drugs.

Heavy smokers and drug addicts often suffer from thirst. This is due to the fact that the body is trying to remove toxic substances that poison the blood and all organs. If you drink alcohol in large doses in the evening, then in the morning the body will suffer from dehydration, which is confirmed by the so-called dryness. Also, thirst is one of the main signs of a person who uses drugs.

Reception medicines.

Some medications have a side effect of dry mouth, which makes you thirsty. These include diuretics, antibiotics, expectorants, sedatives.

Frequent stress or anxiety.

It has been proven that when a person is worried or worried, he feels dry mouth, this can be regarded as thirst. The reason lies in the increased heart rate, rapid breathing, often increased sweating caused by stress.

Why you can't drink too much

Frequent thirst leads to the fact that you have to drink a lot to satisfy the desire of the body. But excessive fluid intake adversely affects a person. Even fatal cases of “intoxication” with water have been recorded in history. What troubles can await water drinkers?

The body's salt balance is disturbed
Overloaded kidneys and heart
The stomach is stretched

How to deal with desire

First, you need to learn how to drink plain clean water. Not even mineral, and, moreover, not carbonated. Scientists say that tea, sweet sodas and other drinks do not quench thirst. On the contrary, they dehydrate the body, because simple water is required for their absorption.

Next, you need to establish the correct drinking process. It consists in drinking water slowly, taking small sips. After all, it has long been proven that the feeling of thirst disappears after about 10 minutes after drinking a liquid.

Recommend daily allowance drink water regularly in equal portions, without waiting for the appearance of thirst. But it should be noted that under certain conditions (sports, increased body temperature, heavy sweating), the amount of H2O must be increased.

It is also advised to make it a habit to drink clean water in the morning immediately after sleep and before each meal, about 10-15 minutes in advance. Morning drink will help the body wake up faster.

A glass of water before a meal will help determine whether the body really needs food or just a feeling of hunger intertwined with thirst. If 10 minutes after drinking water you don’t feel like eating, then there was a signal about the need for water. If the feeling of hunger has not passed, then it's time to eat.

In case of abnormal thirst, it is best to consult a doctor. Establishing the cause of regular thirst will help to understand the problem and avoid deterioration in health. In such a situation, it is better to take tests, the first of which is a blood test for sugar. Perhaps, MRI of the brain, ultrasound of the kidneys, liver will be recommended.

It is interesting:

The so-called drinks are not really drinks, but food. This is explained by the fact that for the assimilation of any substance, except water, the body must expend a certain amount of energy. Therefore, expressions such as "eat tea" were used earlier.

Lack of salt in the body is just as dangerous as its excess. If a person restricts the use of salt, drinks a lot of water, then a disease such as hyponatremia may well develop.

There is an opinion that if you drink more than three liters of water in an hour, you can die from swelling of the brain, lungs, or a decrease in the level of potassium in the body.

Thirst occurs when the body is already 2% dehydrated. With the loss of 10% of the fluid in a person, dizziness, impaired speech, coordination of movement begin, and at 20-25% - death.

For long-distance runners, a special drinking regimen has been developed to quench their thirst and not harm the body with an excess of fluid.

Frequent thirst can have many causes. In any case, you should stick to healthy lifestyle life, regular and balanced diet, drink 1-2 liters of water per day. Mineral water is best used only for treatment prescribed by a doctor. Then the body will work like clockwork, and the drinking regimen will return to normal, thirst will stop bothering you.

If a person drinks little liquid, he gets sick, a lot - he also gets sick, this is due to a violation of the water balance. The average daily volumes of fluid replenishment fluctuate at the level of 1.5 - 3 liters, the amount directly depends on environment: hot and dry - drink more, in case of poisoning too.

The body feels thirsty and usually consumes no more than the required norm. But sometimes there is an irresistible unreasonable constant thirst.

Why do you constantly want to drink when there is no excess of physical activity, temperature, excessive?

If suddenly, under comfortable environmental conditions and good nutrition, constant thirst arises, the causes of discomfort are the development of a particular disease.

Head injuries, tumors cause brain functional disorders. They can lead to the appearance or appearance of false estimates of a lack of water in the body.

If the baby fell hard, and then a strong thirst appeared, the reasons are a severe bruise of the brain tissue, immediately see a doctor!

Diabetes is characterized by constant thirst and dry mouth, the causes are disturbed water and hormonal balance, so the brain constantly signals a lack of water. Diabetes is also accompanied by frequent urge to urinate profusely. If such symptoms appear, especially in a baby, immediately take blood tests for sugar.

Diseases of the kidneys and liver are accompanied by increased fluid secretion, metabolic disorders, which is why you constantly want to drink plenty of water. A person is sometimes able to pour up to 10 liters into himself, however, exceeding the norm will cause significant harm: fluid stagnation, as a result, high swelling of internal tissues.

excess hormones and nervous disorders explain why you are often thirsty at night. Water and hormonal imbalance can be caused by anxiety, insomnia, treatment of the root cause of the disease is required, after which the thirst will be released.

And drugs, the consumption of which causes severe dehydration of tissues, an increase in blood sugars, is another reason why you constantly want to drink water.

household factors

If a strong thirst suddenly arises, the causes may not be as dangerous as in the case of an illness.

Malnutrition: a lot of sweet, fatty, smoked, spicy, salty. In the process of digestion, an increased volume of fluid is required to process and assimilate such food.

Dryness of atmospheric air, high ambient temperature causes excessive sweating, dehydration of cells.

How to prevent heat stroke?

Drinking a lot of water at once is harmful, so normalize portions. Thirst does not go away immediately, since the saturation signal arrives after 8-12 minutes, which is why the next serving should be consumed after such a time period.

The specifics of working professions. High physical activity causes thirst. Teachers and managers who talk a lot also suffer from the constant desire to drink.

Use medicines, especially uncontrolled, explains why you are constantly thirsty: chemical reactions require a large volume of water to distribute and remove synthetic substances.

Caring for plants, furniture, dishes, fabrics contain toxic additives, an excess of which causes poisoning. The brain signals an increased amount of toxins, and only water can remove them, which is why you want to drink all the time, strong thirst can arise for no reason.

The reasons may also be an excess of allergens.

Why can't you drink a lot of water?

Excess fluid disrupts the salt and water balances, makes the heart, kidneys work for wear, increasing the load. The cavities of the stomach and intestines are stretched. Intoxication can occur from poor-quality water. It is necessary to drink in small volumes, not exceeding intervals of 10-15 minutes. Only pure water, or (by appointment) mineral water, quenches thirst. Sweet soda, on the contrary, enhances it many times over. Dairy liquid products are food, not drink.

When a person begins to wake up due to thirst, the question is inevitable - why do you feel thirsty at night. There are many reasons for this phenomenon, but this symptom is not always harmless. Of course, a hearty dinner just before bedtime, and even with an abundance of spicy and salty foods, will inevitably cause thirst. But if thirst begins to haunt every night, this is a reason to turn to a specialist.

Some people wake up thirsty at night

It is impossible to independently determine the cause of dry mouth at night. Causes include pregnancy, taking certain medications, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. But in some cases, thirst at night is a symptom of a serious illness. In any case, such a symptom cannot be ignored - a doctor's consultation will help to solve the problem in a timely manner.

Causes of Night Thirst

Thirst at night, the causes of which are varied, is often ignored by a person. This is unacceptable, since most often it is associated with serious pathologies from internal organs. In addition to overeating at night, which in itself is harmful, the following reasons can cause thirst:

the use of strong tea, coffee, alcoholic beverages;
taking diuretics;
radiotherapy;
rhinitis;
a sharp jump in blood glucose;
inflammatory diseases of the urinary system;
viral infection;
the emergence of neoplasms in the body;
acute / chronic poisoning, causing intoxication of the body.

Night thirst can occur for a variety of reasons.

A constant desire to drink water in the evening or at night may also indicate diseases. of cardio-vascular system, indicating obstructed blood flow and oxygen delivery to cells. In addition, thirst can be a sign of diabetes / diabetes insipidus, as well as a lack of calcium.

How to know when it's time to see a doctor

If there are no objective causes of night thirst (overeating, alcohol), and the symptom manifests itself daily, it is necessary health care. The doctor will conduct a subjective (detailed medical history) and an objective examination. A urine test is mandatory to determine the discharge volume, the amount of calcium, sodium and potassium. The second required study is general analysis blood. Further examination depends on the specific symptoms that bother the patient and may include:

Ultrasound of the kidneys or abdominal cavity;
FGDS;
survey radiography of the kidneys and urinary tract;
biochemical blood test for hormones;
blood for tumor markers, CT, MRI - if a malignant neoplasm is suspected.

As a rule, consultations of narrow specialists are required - only full examination will answer the question why you want to drink water at night.

What is the best way to quench your thirst at night?

Thirst at night is not easy to quench. Simple pure water not suitable for these purposes. If thirst is caused by dryness of the mucosa, you can try to drink mineral water with gas. Water helps with the addition lemon juice- instant refreshment of the mucous membrane is provided. If you are thirsty on a regular basis, you can cook compotes, drink juices and fruit drinks - the main condition is that the drinks are not sweet.

Lemon water perfectly quenches thirst

Quickly quench your thirst, regardless of its cause, kvass will help - but only if it is natural, fresh and without sugar. Green tea occupies a special place among drinks. It perfectly quenches even the strongest thirst and has a slight diuretic effect, removing excess fluid from the body and cleansing it. It is especially useful if thirst is caused by intoxication - alcohol or viral.

Constant thirst as a symptom of the disease

Often, the constant desire to drink water at night is one of the symptoms of a serious pathology from the internal organs. Several of the most common diseases with such a symptom should be attributed.

Primary aldosteronism. Pathology is more often diagnosed in women, and is benign neoplasm developing in the adrenal glands. In addition to thirst, the disease is accompanied by severe hypertension.

The adrenal glands are located above the top of the kidneys

secondary aldosteronism. It develops against the background of neoplasms, accompanied by damage to the vessels of the adrenal glands. In addition to an irresistible desire to drink, there is heat and difficulty urinating.
Diabetes insipidus. Normally, a person produces a sufficient amount of antidiuretic hormone, designed to control the concentration of salts in the blood plasma. Insufficient amount of it leads to increased urination - this is one of the reasons why there is thirst at night. The exact reasons for the development of this pathology have not yet been established.
Diabetes. High blood glucose inevitably makes you want to drink a lot. The amount of fluid consumed by diabetics can be 3-5 or more liters per day. In parallel, metabolic processes are disturbed and immunity is reduced.
Hyperparathyroidism. A disease associated with an imbalance in the content of a trace element such as calcium. Along with a sharply increased urination, there is a strong thirst, including at night.
Cholera algid. Develops against the backdrop of many intestinal infections, accompanied by indomitable vomiting and diarrhea, leading to persistent dehydration.
Stones in the kidneys. The calculi formed in the kidneys cause difficulty in the outflow of urine and disrupt the entire urinary system.
Diseases of the heart and blood vessels. The desire to constantly drink causes ischemic disease, arterial hypertension, vices. This is due to impaired blood circulation in the body and persistent hypoxia of tissues that do not receive the proper amount of oxygen and nutrients.

If you are thirsty at night, limit your salt intake.

Suffering from nocturnal thirst, it is worth reviewing the diet. By eating less salt, fatty and spicy foods in the evening, you can almost certainly get rid of excruciating thirst not only at night, but also after waking up.

Is it possible to deal with the problem on your own

Far from always night thirst is a warning sign. Of course, when a child constantly asks to drink, he needs to be shown to the doctor. The same applies to people. old age. If this symptom periodically worries an adult and healthy person You can try to take action on your own. First of all, you need to pay attention to how much water you drink during the day.

The norm is considered to be 2-2.5 liters of fluid per day. But keep in mind that in the hot season you need to drink more, because a large number of water is lost with sweat. In this case, you do not need to count sweet (carbonated) drinks - only pure water counts. Toward evening, you should also give up black tea or coffee - they have a slight diuretic effect, helping to remove fluid from the body.

In winter, with the onset of the heating season, the air in city apartments becomes very dry. Because of this, the mucous membrane of the oropharynx quickly dries up at night, causing a desire to drink. You can humidify the air in the apartment with the help of special humidifiers, placing several vessels with water in the room, or simply covering the heating radiators with a damp cloth.

The feeling of thirst is the body's signal to replenish fluid deficiency, but when it is excessive, it should be an alarm. You need to drink at least one and a half liters of fluid per day. Best of all - systematically, in small portions. Having drunk a large amount at once, you will not supply the body with water and, on the contrary, stimulate it to pass by as soon as possible. Having enough fluid in the body is very important.

intense thirst

and dry mouth, these are already the first signals that the body lacks it. Anxiety can also be caused by situations when we are constantly thirsty and we do not know why. You need to make sure that excessive thirst is not accompanied by other alarming symptoms, for example, very frequent urination. If so, then you need to see a doctor right now. There are many reasons for excessive thirst. She appears at a big physical activity or when you have a high fever.

This is a natural and healthy symptom during a fever. In such a situation, drinking plenty of water is indicated. Also, thirst can appear as side effect taking certain medications, such as diuretics. A feeling of intense thirst can be recorded with bleeding, diarrhea and vomiting. If diarrhea develops, you should drink warm liquids in small doses frequently. But - avoid alcohol and milk.

If, despite drinking liquid, the feeling of thirst persists, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. It is also worth doing in cases where a strong desire for thirst is combined with other symptoms, such as sharp pain in the epigastrium, palpitations, difficulty in swallowing, dry skin and dry mouth. Anxiety can be a feeling of excessive appetite, drowsiness, fatigue or weakness, which can even lead to fainting.

The feeling of very strong thirst may be due to hormonal disorders. It may indicate

lack of a hormone

which affects the composition of urine and the frequency of its excretion. This substance regulates the work of the nerve tubules. Deficiency of such a hormone most often means a condition that is characterized by excessive urine output. A typical symptom is also unquenchable thirst. Drinking excessive fluids and constant urination may be due to kidney disease or due to pituitary hormone.

And another reason could be

diabetes.

Then thirst is accompanied by lethargy, weight loss, frequent urination and difficulty in healing wounds. These are the typical symptoms of type 1 diabetes. If you notice any alarming symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor. Sometimes timely medical intervention is very importance and helps to detect serious diseases in time.