Excessive thirst, scientifically called polydipsia, is a symptom that can occur for simple reasons, such as after a meal in which too much salt has been ingested or after periods of intense exercise. However, in some cases, this may be an indicator of a disease or situation that needs to be controlled and, in these cases, it is important to pay attention to other symptoms that may occur, such as fatigue, headache, vomiting or diarrhea. For example.
Some of the most common causes of excessive thirst are:
- Generally.
- Eating foods with lots of salt causes a lot of thirst.
- Which is a response from the body.
- Which needs more water.
- To remove excess salt.
What to do: Ideally avoid foods with excess salt, because in addition to increasing thirst, it also increases the risk of developing diseases, such as high blood pressure. Discover a good way to replace salt in your diet.
Intense physical exercise causes fluid loss through perspiration, forcing the body to increase its water intake needs, leading to a feeling of thirst.
What to do: It is very important to drink fluids during and after exercise to avoid dehydration. In addition, the person can opt for isotonic drinks, which contain water and minerals, as is the case of the Gatorade drink for example.
One of the first symptoms that usually occurs in people with diabetes is excessive thirst. In fact, the body is ineffective at using or producing insulin, necessary to transport sugar to cells, which is eventually removed in the urine, resulting in increased water loss.
Learn how to identify the first symptoms of diabetes
What to do: If there is a lot of thirst with other symptoms, such as excessive hunger, weight loss, fatigue, dry mouth or frequent desire to urinate, you should see your family doctor, who will test you for diabetes, identify the type of diabetes, and prescribe appropriate treatment.
When episodes of vomiting and diarrhea occur, the person loses a large amount of fluids, so the excessive thirst that occurs is a defense of the body to prevent dehydration.
What to do: It is advisable to drink plenty of water or ingest oral rehydration solutions, as long as the person vomits or has an episode of diarrhea.
Some medications, such as diuretics, lithium, and antipsychotics, can cause a lot of thirst as a side effect.
What to do: To mitigate the side effects of the drug, the person may drink small amounts of water during the day. In some cases, when the person is very uncomfortable, he or she should talk to the doctor about an alternative.
Dehydration occurs when the water available in the body is insufficient for proper functioning, generating symptoms such as excessive thirst, dry mouth, severe headaches and fatigue.
What to do: To avoid dehydration, you should drink about 2 L of fluids a day, which can be done by drinking water, teas, fruit juices, milk and soup, for example. In addition, the consumption of water-rich fruits and vegetables also contributes to the hydration of the body.
Watch the video below and find out which foods are rich in water: