Unquenchable constant thirst - Causes, symptoms and treatment. MF.
Thirst - a normal phenomenon after exercise, in the heat, after taking salty and spicy food. It is associated with the loss of body fluids during sweating. A constant thirst is when a person wants to drink constantly, no matter how much he has already drunk.
The most common causes of pathological thirst( polydipsia):
- Lack of water and salt in the body( for example, as a result of sweating, diarrhea, vomiting).
- Taking certain medicines. Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, caffeine and salt.
Possible diseases that cause constant thirst
Thirst can be a sign of a more serious illness, it is caused by:
- Hyperglycemia( high blood sugar)
- Diabetes
- Diabetes insomnia( water metabolism disorder)
- Kidney disorders( eg Fanconi syndrome)
- Dehydration
- Liver disease( hepatitis or cirrhosis)
- Bleeding( eg, in the intestine)
- Burns or infection
- Head injury
- Mental disorders( schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder,thirst).
Drugs that cause persistent thirst
Some drugs may cause thirst.
- Diuretics .Used in the treatment of hypertension, diabetes and heart failure. Also prescribed for edema and diabetes insipidus. They lead to frequent urination and dehydration of the body.
- Antibiotics of the tetracycline .Used to treat bacterial infections. Sodium is excreted from the body.
- Lithium. Used to treat bipolar disorder and other mental disorders.
- Phenothiazine .Used to treat schizophrenia and other mental disorders.
Increased urination and unquenchable thirst are among the first and most characteristic signs in diabetes mellitus. These symptoms contribute to the rapid detection of diabetes in young children who can not yet express their condition. These manifestations in them in the form of frequent and profuse urination, which is characterized as night incontinence, and the diapers after drying become yellowish starched.
These symptoms are also characteristic of diabetes insipidus.
The cause of constant thirst and frequent, profuse urination can be drug dependence .This fact should be taken into account by the parents of the teenager: if a child puts a glass with water from his bedside in the evening to drink at night - you need to talk with him and clarify the situation.
To which doctor to consult at occurrence of a constant thirst
First of all to the endocrinologist. If the occurrence of constant thirst was preceded by a trauma - to a traumatologist and a neurologist. You can also clarify the reasons for your constant thirsts general practitioner( therapist)