Causes of constant thirst. There must be moderation in everything: reasons and ways to combat constant thirst

If a person drinks little liquid, he gets sick, if a person drinks too much, he also gets sick, this is due to an imbalance in water balance. Average daily volumes of fluid replenishment range from 1.5 to 3 liters, the amount directly depends on the environment: it’s hot and dry - drink more, and if you’re poisoned, too.

The body feels thirsty and usually consumes no more than the required amount. But sometimes an irresistible, unreasonable constant thirst arises.

Why do you constantly feel thirsty when there is no excess physical activity, no excessive temperature?

If suddenly, under comfortable environmental conditions and good nutrition, constant thirst arises, the cause of discomfort is the development of one or another disease.

Head injuries and tumors cause brain functional disorders. Can lead to the occurrence or appearance of false assessments of lack of water in the body.

If the baby falls hard and is followed by severe thirst, the cause is a severe bruise of brain tissue, immediately consult a doctor!

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

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

Excess hormones and nervous disorders explain why you often want to drink at night. Water and hormonal imbalances can be caused by anxiety, insomnia; treatment of the root cause of the disease is required, after which thirst will go away.

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

Household factors

If severe thirst suddenly occurs, the reasons may not be as dangerous as with illness.

Poor nutrition: a lot of sweet, fatty, smoked, spicy, salty foods. During the digestion process, processing and assimilation of such food requires an increased volume of liquid.

Dry atmospheric air and high ambient temperature cause excessive sweating and cell dehydration.

How to prevent heatstroke?

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

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

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

Care products for plants, furniture, dishes, and 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, and 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, causing the heart and kidneys to work harder, increasing the load. The cavities of the stomach and intestines are stretched. Poor quality water can cause intoxication. You should drink in small volumes, not exceeding intervals of 10-15 minutes. Only pure water or (as intended) mineral water quenches thirst. Sweet sodas, on the contrary, enhance it many times over. Dairy liquid products are food, not drink.

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A feeling of constant thirst, as well as dry mouth, are very common complaints of patients observed in various diseases. The reasons for the appearance of such symptoms can be quite varied, and they indicate both the presence of serious diseases and completely harmless and harmless disorders. It is important to correctly interpret such symptoms, as they can have significant diagnostic value.

Possible reasons

There are many reasons for the appearance of thirst and dry mouth, since many factors lead to disruption of the processes of natural hydration of the oral mucosa. As a rule, in a global sense, the appearance of an uncomfortable feeling of constant dryness and thirst in the mouth is caused either by a violation of the composition of saliva (quantitative or qualitative), or by the fact that the process of natural normal perception in the oral cavity is disrupted, that is, the receptors responsible for the perception of the presence of saliva are working wrong.

Most often, constant thirst and dry mouth appear due to:

General changes and disturbances in the sensitivity mechanism of the main receptors in the oral cavity.
Disturbances in the body's normal balance of water-salt metabolism.
Disturbances and changes in natural trophic processes in the oral cavity.
Increased osmotic blood pressure.
Dysregulation of saliva synthesis in humoral and neural terms.
The presence of internal intoxication, as well as poisoning of the body with any toxic substances.
Drying of the oral mucosa with air, mechanically, for example, when breathing through the mouth.

Most often, dry mouth occurs when:

Diabetes mellitus. In most cases, a feeling of dry mouth that is persistent and permanent is a symptom of this disease. Diabetes is usually indicated by two factors at once: dry mouth with excessive urine production during the day and a constant feeling of thirst. If both symptoms are present, the diagnosis is considered obvious and requires diagnostics to clarify the type and nature of the disease.
Exposure to high temperatures for long periods of time. When the body overheats, a person naturally develops thirst and dry mouth.
Long conversation, breathing through your mouth or sleeping with your mouth open and snoring. In this case, the usual drying out of the mucous membrane occurs under the influence of air.

Taking certain types of medications, in particular, antibiotics, as well as various drugs used in the treatment of hypertension.
Various oral diseases.
Normal dehydration, for example, in cases where a person consumes an insufficient amount of water per day. Dehydration is also a frequent accompaniment of various diseases and disorders of the digestive system, accompanied by diarrhea or vomiting.
Intoxication of the body, for example, alcoholic or caused by other substances.
Tobacco smoking.
Diseases of the nervous system and brain, in which the natural regulation of saliva synthesis occurs. Such diseases include Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, circulatory disorders, strokes, and trigeminal neuritis.
Pathologies of the abdominal organs of a surgical nature in acute form, for example, cholecystitis, appendicitis, intestinal obstruction, perforated ulcer.
Various diseases of the digestive system, in particular, hepatitis, gastritis, pancreatitis, stomach or intestinal ulcers.
Diseases and various infections of a purulent nature in acute form.

Dry mouth without thirst

The appearance of dry mouth without a constant feeling of thirst is often a symptom of hypotension, which represents an almost constant decrease in blood pressure. Of course, not every hypotensive person feels the symptoms of his disorder in the form of weakness, dizziness, dry mouth without thirst, severe headaches in the occipital area and temples, especially in a lying position and when bending forward. Many people with hypotension feel absolutely normal, which is also a variant of the norm.

However, hypotensive people often experience severe dry mouth in the morning, as well as fatigue literally 1 to 2 hours after waking up and getting out of bed, lethargy, which usually returns in the evening.

With hypotension, a circulatory disorder occurs, which cannot but affect the general condition of the body and the functioning of all systems, organs and glands, where the salivary glands are no exception.

Dry mouth with belching, diarrhea, flatulence, nausea and nagging pain in the left side of the abdomen usually indicate pancreatitis. In some cases, this disease can occur unnoticed, accompanied only by dry mouth.

In older women, dry mouth is often caused by menopause.. When menopause occurs, a woman’s body decreases the intensity of production of almost all hormones related to the reproductive system, as its effect fades. Of course, this cannot but affect the general condition of the body, which leads to sleep disturbances, a feeling of chills and hot flashes, a feeling of anxiety and dry mucous membranes, including in the mouth.

Causes of constant thirst

Of course, the reason for severe thirst can be very simple and banal, and consist of prolonged exposure to the sun, dehydration, or consumption of large amounts of smoked and salty foods, but often the situation is very serious and the cause of constant thirst is diabetes mellitus.

The appearance of a dry mouth coupled with constant thirst is usually the main sign of diabetes.

In diabetes mellitus, there is excessive frequent visiting of the toilet in order to empty the bladder against the background of a constant feeling of thirst and dry mouth. In addition to these signs, which are considered the main ones, the patient may have cracks in the corners of the mouth, weakness, sudden weight gain or loss, increased or decreased appetite, the appearance of pustular elements on the skin, itching of the skin, which in women is also accompanied by itching in the vagina.

In men, inflammation of the foreskin and decreased potency levels may additionally occur..

An important point is that in diabetic patients, the level of thirst and the need for water consumption does not depend on the time of day and ambient temperature.

With diabetes, a person is always thirsty, and drinking liquid relieves the feeling of thirst only for a very short period of time. This is explained by the fact that the increase in glucose levels that occurs with diabetes leads to increased production of urine, as a result of which a person is forced to visit the toilet very often to remove it. As a result, dehydration occurs in the body, which leads to severe thirst.

Dry mouth at night

At night, dry mouth often occurs due to the consumption of a large amount of protein food for dinner, since the body requires a large amount of water to break it down. For this reason, if a person ate dairy, meat or any legume products for dinner, he will experience a feeling of heat and dry mouth at night.

To prevent the body from drying out overnight, it is important to eat light foods for dinner.

Another reason why your mouth feels dry and thirsty is taking certain medications, for example, lowering blood pressure levels. Therefore, it is necessary to read the instructions for the medicine, especially the section on side effects.

The presence of diabetes also causes constant dry mouth, including at night, which is why a person is forced to wake up frequently to drink water.

Dry mouth in the morning

Dry mouth in the morning can occur for various reasons. Quite often, this phenomenon is observed immediately after waking up due to an increase in the viscosity of saliva or insufficient production of it in the oral cavity. The same reasons can also cause a feeling of dryness at night.

Extreme thirst and dry mouth are signs of type 2 diabetes. In this case, thirst accompanies the person at night, as does the need to frequently visit the toilet.

The consumption of pickled, smoked, too salty or spicy foods by a healthy person in the evening of the previous day often leads to the fact that in the morning when waking up a person experiences severe thirst due to dehydration, since in order to process such foods the body requires a large amount of water, which it takes from the tissues .

Dry mouth in the morning also appears in people with various diseases of the respiratory system, for example, rhinitis, sore throat, flu, adenoids.

We should not forget that the functioning of the salivary glands is disrupted by drinking alcohol and smoking, so people suffering from such bad habits experience dry mouth in the morning almost every day.

Treatment with various psychotropic drugs and heavy therapy, in particular chemical and radiation therapy for oncology, also lead to the same manifestations. Dryness in the morning is also caused by diseases of the digestive system, as well as frequent consumption of coffee or black tea during the day.

Dry mouth and thirst during pregnancy

Pregnant women, in normal health, should not experience dry mouth, since during this period there is an increased level of saliva production. A feeling of thirst and dryness in the oral cavity during this period in a woman in normal condition can only be observed in the hot season and when the air is excessively dry.

In addition, a healthy woman during pregnancy may experience some feeling of thirst in the later stages, since at this time the volume of urine excreted per day increases, which leads to a state of some degree of dehydration, and the body requires more water to replenish moisture losses.

If a woman experiences frequent and severe dry mouth If you have a metallic, sour taste, you should consult your doctor, as these symptoms may indicate gestational diabetes. In this case, you will need to undergo additional examination and undergo a number of tests, including glucose levels and glucose tolerance.

Another cause of dry mouth during pregnancy may be a severe deficiency of potassium in the body against the background of a significant excess of magnesium. In this case, the doctor will recommend following a certain diet and may prescribe special vitamin complexes to solve the problem.

The most common causes of excessive thirst are: excessive sweating during heat, during exercise, bronchitis, dehydration due to diarrhea, and elevated body temperature. Constant thirst occurs due to water-electrolyte imbalance. Salts and liquids clearly interact in the body. The main ions that can determine the level of salt in the blood plasma are potassium and sodium. As for negatively charged ions - anions, which determine the salt composition of tissue fluid, these include chlorides. The water-salt balance in the body ensures the vital activity of cells and determines the osmotic pressure in the tissues. If the water-electrolyte balance in the tissues is disturbed, constant thirst appears. What can provoke such manifestations and the occurrence of dry mouth and the desire to drink?

Groups of causes of constant thirst and dry mouth

There are 5 reasons for disturbances in the water-salt balance in the body and, accordingly, constant thirst:

The process of removing fluid from the body increases.
The amount of fluid entering the body decreases.
The amount of salts in the body increases.
The process of removing salt from the body is reduced.
Thirst increases with brain diseases.

Reason No. 1 – The process of removing fluid from the body increases

There are several ways through which fluid is removed from the body:

kidneys;
leather;
intestines;
Airways.

Excretion of fluid through the kidneys

Frequent urination occurs when taking diuretics or other drugs that can increase the removal of water from the body. Herbal medicines and weight loss products have a rapid diuretic effect.

Read also: Reasons for losing weight: 10 diseases that cause weight loss

Drinks that contain large amounts of ethanol (beer) can also provoke increased urine production and subsequent thirst.

Unquenchable thirst coupled with excessive excretion of light-colored urine (more than one liter per day) can become a symptom of diabetes insipidus. This disease causes water incontinence in the kidneys and its rapid circulation. It is necessary to solve such a problem after consultation with an endocrinologist.

In addition, excessive urination is inherent in the following diseases: chronic glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis (acute and chronic), kidney shrinkage (primary or secondary). These ailments increase urination, the body becomes dehydrated faster and severe thirst occurs. Such conditions must be treated together with a urologist and therapist.

With osmotic diuresis, fluid is “washed out” of the body along with salts or glucose. For example, when glucose is lost, severe thirst also occurs, that is, during the development of diabetes mellitus. A clue that excessive urine output and thirst are causes of diabetes may be itchy skin.

Loss of fluid through the skin

If constant thirst is explained by excessive sweating and there are no additional symptoms, the cause of dry mouth is excessive exercise or heat. These are harmless reasons in which thirst is eliminated by one-time fluid replenishment.

Read also: Why does an adult smell of acetone?

If excessive sweating and severe thirst are accompanied by increasing pathological symptoms and deterioration of the condition, you should immediately go for examination. Such signs may indicate the development of thyrotoxicosis, pathological menopause, a number of endocrine diseases, and Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Excretion of water through the intestines

In a situation where there is severe vomiting and frequent loose stools, a feeling of thirst will be present due to tissue dehydration. This may be a sign of diarrhea, which is a less dangerous disease, or an intestinal tumor, which is a more serious disease.

Loss of water through the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract

Dry mouth and thirst appear during mouth breathing: during rhinitis, enlarged adenoids, chronic snoring. If mouth breathing is rapid, your mouth dries out even more and you always want to drink. Breathing becomes more frequent due to bronchitis or pneumonia, heart failure or fever. Also, respiratory failure can develop against the background of cerebral oxygen starvation.

Reason 2. – The amount of fluid entering the body decreases

If there is a lack of fluid, a person will feel dry mouth and thirst. This is a natural process if you drink very little water per day. The level of fluid in the body depends on gender, age, weight. Even the area of activity partially determines how much water a person needs to drink. On average, the body needs 1.5-2 liters of water per day, and during intense training, in hot weather or heavy physical labor, you need to drink more than 2 liters.

Reason 3. – The amount of salts in the body increases

If you eat a lot of salty or smoked food, salts will begin to accumulate in the body and be absorbed into the blood. As a result, osmotic pressure in the tissues will begin to increase and the body will need to turn on protection - thirst, in order to quickly remove toxins and restore the balance between salts and water.

Reason 4. – The process of removing salt from the body is reduced

Retention of salts in tissues occurs in chronic renal failure. Therefore, it is extremely important to establish the cause of salt retention in order to prevent the critical development of the disease.

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Reason 5. – Brain dysfunction

The so-called “thirst center,” under the control of which the desire to drink arises or is dulled, is located in the hypothalamus. During problems with the brain, these functions are disrupted, thirst arises as a result of mental disorders, brain injuries, and brain tumors.

Monitor the amount of fluid you drink throughout the day.
Avoid medications that make you thirsty and foods and drinks that make you constantly thirsty.
Seek advice from a physician, endocrinologist or urologist.
Take basic tests to clarify the situation: a general urine and blood test, a biochemical blood test, an X-ray of the lungs and an ECG.
Further clarification of the reasons for constant thirst follows after receiving the results of basic tests.

Thirst can be a simple signal from the body that there is not enough water and reserves need to be replenished. But, strong and constant thirst can also serve as the first “bell” of serious electrolyte imbalances and the development of diseases. It is better to consult a specialist and find out the true causes of thirst.

The problem of thirst in human life

Why do people drink:

To maintain water-salt balance
To ensure thermoregulation
To improve your well-being
To ensure normal metabolism
To thin the blood
For joint lubrication
To obtain energy
To improve digestion

According to research, the average daily fluid intake 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 desire to get drunk:

False drinks.

It has been proven that any liquid other than water cannot 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 sushnyak is in the morning after drinking strong drinks in the evening. Lemonade and cola also cause thirst due to increased blood sugar.

Incorrect drinking process.

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

With kidney and heart failure, diabetes, liver disease, constant thirst is observed. This is due to disruption of the functions of vital organs, and the body’s water balance is disrupted because too much fluid is excreted uncontrollably.

Brain injury or pathology.

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 feel thirsty all the time, because the consumption of fluid in the body will increase due to the drying out of the mucous membranes and increased sweating.

Poor nutrition.

It is known that after eating salty, sweet, smoked, spicy and floury foods, you are drawn to water. It is quite logical that if you eat such foods all the time, then thirst will not disappear, because the body will need water to absorb “heavy” food and remove the harmful substances contained in it.

Work specifics.

People who, due to their profession, have to talk a lot (teachers, politicians, presenters, etc.) often experience thirst due to the drying out 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 tries to remove toxic substances that poison the blood and all organs. If you drink alcohol in large doses in the evening, then the next morning the body will suffer from dehydration, which is confirmed by the so-called dryness. Thirst is also one of the main signs of a person who uses drugs.

Taking medications.

Some medications have a side effect of dry mouth, which makes you thirsty. These include diuretics, antibiotics, expectorants, and 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 increased heart rate, rapid breathing, and often increased sweating caused by stress.

Why you shouldn't drink a lot

Frequent thirst leads to the need to drink a lot to quench the body's desire. But excessive fluid intake has an adverse effect on a person. History has even recorded fatal cases of “intoxication” with water. What kind of troubles can await water farmers?

The body's salt balance is disrupted
The kidneys and heart are overloaded
Stomach stretches

How to fight desire

First, you need to learn to drink simple clean water. Not even mineral, much less carbonated. Scientists say that tea, sweet carbonated and other drinks do not quench thirst. On the contrary, they dehydrate the body because they require plain water to be absorbed.

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

It is recommended to drink the daily amount of water regularly in equal portions, without waiting for thirst to appear. But it should be taken into account that under certain conditions (sports, increased body temperature, heavy sweating) the amount of H2O needs to 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. Drinking in the morning will help the body wake up faster.

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

If you have abnormal thirst, it is best to consult a doctor. Establishing the cause of regular thirst will help you understand the problem and avoid deterioration in health. In such a situation, it is better to get tested, the first of which is a blood sugar test. An MRI of the brain, ultrasound of the kidneys and liver may be recommended.

This is interesting:

The so-called drinks are not actually drinks, but food. This is explained by the fact that the body must expend some energy to absorb any substance other than water. That’s why expressions like “have some tea” were used in the past.

A lack of salt in the body is just as dangerous as its excess. If a person limits his salt intake and drinks a lot of water, he may well develop a disease such as hyponatremia.

There is an opinion that if you drink more than three liters of water in an hour, you can die from edema of the brain, lungs or low potassium levels in the body.

Thirst occurs when the body is already 2% dehydrated. With a loss of 10% of fluid, a person begins to experience dizziness, impaired speech, and coordination of movements; at 20-25%, death occurs.

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

Frequent thirst can have many causes. In any case, you should adhere to a healthy lifestyle, regular and balanced nutrition, and drink 1-2 liters of water per day. It is better to use mineral water only for treatment as prescribed by a doctor. Then the body will work like a clock, and the drinking regime will return to normal, thirst will cease to bother you.

What is thirst

Thirst is one of the main human motivations of a biological nature, which provides the body with a normal existence. This feeling helps a person maintain a balance between the concentration of water and salts in the body.

Severe dryness of the oral mucosa is explained by a decrease in salivary secretion, which occurs due to lack of fluid.

In addition to true (normal) thirst, a person may also encounter false thirst. It occurs due to prolonged active conversation, smoking, or eating too dry food. It is easy to quench it - just moisten the oral cavity. While true thirst, moisturizing the mouth only softens, but does not eliminate.

How to get rid of normal thirst

To avoid thirst, it is necessary to regularly replenish fluid reserves. But you need to know your own norm. It is calculated using a simple formula: every day an adult should consume about 30-40 g of liquid for every 1 kg of body weight. But when making such calculations, a number of factors should be taken into account (they increase the body’s need for water):

stressful situations;
active lifestyle;
pregnancy and lactation period;
increased ambient temperature;
colds, infectious diseases occurring with fever, vomiting and diarrhea.

Doctors say that on average a person should consume at least 1.2-1.5 liters of liquid per day. By the way, this includes not only drinking water, but also liquid contained in food.

Signs of abnormal thirst

When a person experiences constant, unquenchable thirst and wants to drink all the time, this turns into a pathology. Moreover, a person experiences a desire to drink water even after consuming a significant amount of liquid..

Thirst of a pathological nature is called “polydipsia” in the medical environment.

Unfortunately, most citizens completely ignore such alarm bells. But we must remember that some dangerous illnesses begin with just such simple symptoms. Unquenchable thirst is a signal from the body that deviations in its functioning are beginning.

To understand that thirst has become abnormal, remember how much water you drink at a time. If such a quantity is not usual for a particular person, this is a reason to think about it. Moreover, you should pay attention to changes in the water diet that last for a long time, when there are no additional culprits for increasing the daily water intake.

Thirst as a consequence of illness

Sometimes, when looking for an answer to the question of why you want to drink a lot of water, you should look for the reasons in your own health. Sometimes prolonged and unquenchable thirst becomes evidence of the onset of a certain disease. This first symptom of the disease cannot be ignored.

Diabetes

Often abnormal thirst indicates the appearance of such a dangerous pathology. Therefore, if an increased urge to drink has been observed for a long time, and especially if there is a predisposition, you should immediately visit a doctor and undergo the necessary tests.

By the way, diabetes is an insidious disease. For a long time, many patients do not even suspect that they have such an illness and do not receive the necessary treatment. Sometimes it happens that a diagnosis is made only after a sharp deterioration in health, when the patient is taken by ambulance to the hospital.

With timely diagnosis and proper treatment, a person can avoid terrible consequences. And the result of advanced diabetes mellitus is quite serious things:

complete blindness;
death;
gangrene and leg amputation.

Kidney failure

An increased desire to drink water may also indicate that a person has kidney problems. When you often feel thirsty, this means that the kidneys can no longer cope with their work and are not able to retain water in the body. In the presence of such a problem, there is a violation of the water-salt balance, which becomes the cause of dehydration.

Doctors define kidney failure as a pathology that accompanies various diseases. Depending on the intensity of the changes, chronic and acute renal failure are distinguished.

According to statistics, acute renal failure is diagnosed annually in 100 people out of 500,000.

Doctors attribute the following factors to the culprits of kidney failure:

diabetes;
organ injury;
arterial hypertension;
alcohol addiction;
severe viral infections;
illiterate use of medications.

Liver diseases

Sometimes the reasons why your mouth gets dry and you feel thirsty are various liver problems. One of the common culprits of such problems is alcohol abuse. According to WHO experts, today about 200 million people worldwide suffer from various liver diseases. Liver diseases are among the ten most common causes of death.

The functioning and condition of this organ should be checked if, along with unquenchable thirst, a person experiences the following symptoms:

constant nausea;
severe dizziness;
pain in the hypochondrium.

Night thirst

An insatiable craving to drink that appears at night is a fairly common phenomenon. The causes include both unpleasant factors (diseases and disorders) and completely harmless situations.

Thirst at night as a sign of illness

Some individuals do not react to the strangeness that appears and ignore this symptom, which is unacceptable. Indeed, in most cases, night thirst indicates the presence of ailments. Such as:

diabetes;
aldosteronism (neoplasms in the adrenal glands);
hyperparathyroidism (calcium deficiency), this condition is accompanied by frequent urination;
dehydration (a phenomenon observed in infectious pathologies) is accompanied by increased dryness of the mouth and tongue;
pathologies of the cardiovascular system, thirst appears as a result of difficulty in supplying oxygen and blood to internal organs;
cholera algid (with this pathology, complete dehydration is observed), additional symptoms include profuse, prolonged diarrhea and vomiting;
kidney stones and formations in the organs make it difficult to separate urine, which gives rise to severe thirst due to impaired water-salt metabolism; in the presence of stones, the patient will experience painful urination.

Other causes of night thirst

Often the nighttime craving to constantly drink water becomes a consequence of banal overeating. Also, this syndrome can be triggered by high consumption of alcohol, tea and coffee the day before..

Ethyl alcohol actively promotes the leaching of fluid, and along with it, beneficial microelements leave the body. This provokes the development of strong thirst.

Some medications are also involved in the appearance of an unpleasant symptom. Diuretics especially contribute to dehydration. The following situations are also considered causes of night thirst:

nasal congestion;
viral disease;
intoxication of the body;
oncological processes;
alcohol abuse;
inflammation of the urinary system;
carrying out radiation therapy in the neck and head area.

How to Avoid Night Thirst

How to return normal and healthy sleep? First of all, you should visit a doctor, conduct a full diagnosis of your own body and take care of your own health. What to drink so you don’t want to drink at night? There are some ways to help avoid nighttime torment:

Before going to bed, consume a glass of kefir (preferably low-fat).
An excellent way to quench your thirst is pure water with lemon juice added.
You can drink green tea the day before. But it should not be consumed before going to bed, as this product can cause insomnia.

Morning Thirst

Dry mouth and an increased desire to drink water in the morning are as common and widespread as thirst at night. Most often, this sign indicates that a person has some kind of disease (as is the case with night thirst). But there are a number of other reasons that are not dangerous to health. They are as follows:

Intense loads. Dehydration is caused by heavy physical work during the night shift and vigorous exercise in the evening.
Illiterate nutrition. One of the most common reasons explaining this syndrome. It arises due to the individual’s increased love for fatty, heavy and salty foods.
Taking medications. Some of the medications have increased diuretic properties. As a result, large reserves of moisture leave the body. And the body requires its replenishment, especially in the morning, when a person does not drink for a long time.

You can overcome the morning desire to constantly drink water by adjusting your diet. The water-salt balance should be adjusted by adjusting the daily fluid intake. This is especially necessary if a person is being treated with diuretics.

Let's summarize

Having carefully read everything that has been said, we can identify seven main culprits that provoke increased thirst in humans. There is no reason to panic if you want to drink in the heat, after intense physical activity or after consuming salty foods. But the situation changes when thirst arises completely unreasonably.

So, the most common culprits for an increased desire to drink water are the following reasons:

Dehydration. The culprit of the syndrome is an illiterate diet, excessive stress, heat, excessive consumption of alcohol, coffee and tea. Health problems, illnesses that occur against a background of high fever, and indigestion are also causes. To overcome the attack, you should drink the prescribed amount of clean drinking water every day.
Diabetes. In the presence of such a pathology, the body needs an increased amount of drink, and you always want to drink. The main reason is an increase in blood sugar levels. Well, you can get rid of indomitable thirst only with adequate and constant treatment of the underlying disease.
Problems in the functioning of the parathyroid gland. This organ is responsible for the presence of calcium in the body. If it malfunctions, a person faces the problem of constant thirst. In this case, you should seek help from an endocrinologist.
Long-term use of medications. Many medications, especially with a long course of therapy, cause a number of side effects, including increased thirst. Such drugs include diuretics, antibiotics, antihistamines and expectorants. In this case, consulting a doctor and adjusting the course of medication will help.
Kidney diseases. The main task of this paired organ is to regulate the water-salt balance. Problems and disruptions in their normal operation lead to this problem. Plus, in this case, a person experiences pain and difficulty urinating.
Liver pathologies. One of the striking symptoms of the development of a disease of this organ is increased thirst.
Consequences of injury. An increased and constant desire to drink often occurs with a head injury. When cerebral edema develops as a result of severe damage.

It is almost impossible to cope with any of the above problems on your own. If you have to deal with a symptom such as an increased desire to drink, you need to contact a medical specialist and undergo a full examination of your body.

Doctors are sounding the alarm due to the rapid increase in diabetes incidence statistics. A group of foreign scientists decided to highlight the main prediabetic symptoms, which make it possible to catch a dangerous disease at an early stage of development and take timely measures for healing.

According to doctors, one of the first characteristic signs of the onset of diabetes is increased drowsiness and lethargy after eating. Such a reaction of the body is evidence that it is overloaded with carbohydrates. This is especially harmful if a person is addicted to food stuffed with so-called “fast” carbohydrates, supplied with sugar or white wheat flour. If after lunch you are overcome by an unbearable desire to sleep, you need to reduce the amount of foods with “fast” carbohydrates. Instead, eat foods with “slow”, more complex carbohydrates - cereals, vegetables, fresh fruits. It is also useful to give yourself a little physical activity after eating, for example, just walking for 15 minutes.

Another formidable symptom is carbohydrate thirst, that is, a strong craving for foods with simple carbohydrates. If you constantly crave sweets and starchy foods, it means that your pancreas is not working properly: it produces a large amount of insulin, which is why your blood sugar level does not remain stably even, but drops. It is dangerous to abruptly remove sugar from your diet in such a situation, but there is a way out - instead of sweets with refined sugar, eat nuts, carrots, and bananas.
High blood pressure with excess weight is a sure companion of diabetes. The blood becomes more viscous, which makes it more difficult for it to move throughout the body, and the cells do not receive the required amount of carbohydrates. In this case, it is necessary to reduce blood cholesterol levels and start losing excess weight.
A beer belly, which indicates the concentration of fat in the abdominal area, aggravates the tendency to diabetes. Belly fat increases blood pressure and increases the risk of cardiovascular pathologies. A fat belly with an overall high cholesterol level greatly increases a person's chances of developing diabetes.

A strong feeling of thirst can be absolutely normal after intense physical activity, on a hot afternoon, or even after eating something salty or spicy. But thirst, which appears for no reason and which is almost impossible to quench, is a serious signal sent by the body. Let's talk further about what diseases are indicated by constant thirst.
Doctors call the syndrome of constant thirst polydipsia. This is a pathological phenomenon that indicates a clear lack of fluid in the body. Loss of fluid can be associated both with the above phenomena and after disruption of the body (vomiting, increased sweating, diarrhea).
Those diseases that are evidenced by constant thirst can be quite serious, so this alarming “bell” cannot be ignored. Most often, thirst is provoked by liver or kidney diseases, infectious diseases, increased blood sugar levels, improper water metabolism, and burns. In addition, doctors also add what diseases you should think about if you have a constant desire to drink. These are mental illnesses, nervous disorders, schizophrenia, obsessive and depressive states, the feeling of thirst often occurs after head injuries, possibly resulting in a concussion.

The natural feeling of thirst allows the body to function normally. This is a biological motivation, thanks to which the body receives the amount of fluid it needs and also maintains an optimal water-salt ratio. When thirsty, as you know, a feeling of dryness appears in the mouth. This feeling may be false or true. In case of false thirst, it is enough to simply rinse your mouth with water, after which this feeling goes away. If this was not enough, and the body requires a large amount of water, it’s time to think about what diseases this condition may indicate.

To prevent the feeling of a constant desire to drink, it is necessary to promptly replenish the sufficient supply of fluid required by your body specifically. Correctly calculating fluid requirements will prevent fluid intake. For example, 1 kg of body weight of an adult requires about 40 g of water. This is a daily requirement. Taking these indicators into account, you can calculate how much water you need per day, and whether there is any reason to worry about unreasonably occurring thirst. It is a misconception that a person needs to drink at least two liters a day. Everyone has an individual need, depending on their own body weight. This is the indicator we should proceed from. True, an allowance should be made for the lifestyle an ordinary adult leads. Constant increased sweating and expenditure of large amounts of energy require drinking more water. But a sedentary lifestyle can reduce the need for fluid.

In addition, it should be taken into account that constant thirst indicates nervous overload and stress. If work is associated with worries and experiences, then thirst is inevitable.
We should also talk about the thirst that occurs in children. First of all, thirst can be provoked in adolescents due to the fact that they lead an active and mobile lifestyle. In children, the phenomenon of constant thirst indicates some dangerous conditions in the body. For example, a disorder of the cardiovascular system such as congestive heart failure indicates weakness of the heart muscle, which is not able to pump a sufficient volume of blood and oxygen. As soon as a child experiences even the slightest stress, his heart failure worsens, as evidenced by constant thirst.
Parents need to keep in mind that the child's urination and fluid intake should be proportional. Otherwise, you should consult a doctor and check the condition of your kidneys. The kidneys are the body's natural filtration system, and if their function is impaired, they can completely stop absorbing water and retaining it in sufficient quantities in the organ systems.

In any case, you should not immediately draw conclusions about the presence of any diseases in your child or yourself if you experience frequent thirst. Observe young children for some time. If you notice any abnormalities, consult a doctor.
The most popular causes of unreasonable feelings of extreme thirst are diabetes. If, along with a strong desire to drink, an uncontrollable feeling of hunger appears, as well as frequent urination, we can assume that these are symptoms of diabetes. It can manifest in a similar way in children and adults.
Another disease is diabetes insipidus. With this disease, the sensitivity of the kidneys to antidiuretic hormone is impaired, or the amount of this hormone sharply decreases. With this disease, frequent urination and a strong feeling of thirst can also make themselves felt, but at the same time the child loses his appetite.

An irresistible desire to drink should be satisfied only with clean water. If you drink tea, juices and carbonated drinks, you can cause even more harm to the body and aggravate the disease. If your body is sending you any signals, try to understand what diseases it is trying to tell you about. If the pathology indicated by constant thirst is not confirmed by doctors, reconsider your daily diet. Try to reduce the amount of spicy foods, salty foods and sweets you eat. Remember that thirst is caused by excessive smoking and dehydration after drinking alcohol and coffee. Before you see a doctor, make sure that your thirst is not caused by taking any medications prescribed to you.

Thirst or polydipsia is the need to drink fluid more often and in larger volumes than during normal life activities. The feeling of thirst can be a signal of a serious pathology or an adaptive reaction to environmental conditions (in a hot climate). The presence of other symptoms, laboratory and instrumental studies allow us to identify the exact cause. In most cases, thirst occurs due to diabetes, high fever, and renal failure.

Causes

Thirst can be a manifestation of diseases of the oral cavity and internal organs. The most common causes of this symptom are the following conditions:

diabetes mellitus (including gestational);
atrophy of the salivary glands, gingivitis, stomatitis;
damage to the brain centers responsible for fluid intake (hypothalamus);
fever of any origin (infectious diseases);
hyperacid gastritis, peptic ulcer;
impaired absorption of water in the digestive tract;
taking certain medications - antibacterial, antiallergic;
diseases of the hepatobiliary system (cholecystitis, biliary dyskinesia);
pancreatitis;
impaired nasal breathing (polyps, deviated nasal septum, nasal injuries);
parotitis;
renal failure;
taking diuretics;
alcohol or drug intoxication;
nervous disorders - schizophrenia, psychosis, neurasthenia;
acute blood loss, burns, uncontrollable vomiting, prolonged diarrhea.

Feeling thirsty is not always a sign of illness. In healthy people it occurs in the following cases:

pregnancy and lactation;
in the summer season;
severe stress or physical strain;
constant stay in an air-conditioned room;
drinking liquids low in minerals for a long time;
taking diuretic herbs, alcoholic beverages, vegetables and fruits;
eating salty, spicy, bitter foods.

Additional signs

The following symptoms accompanying constant thirst may indicate the onset of the disease:

Frequent urination, dry mouth, need to drink up to 10 liters per day - with diabetes.
Low blood pressure, dizziness, headache - with hypotension.
Sweating, irritability, trembling hands - with damage to the thyroid gland.
Chills, fever, cough, sore throat - with an upper respiratory tract infection.
Bone pain, muscle weakness, and memory loss are observed with pathology of the parathyroid glands.
Personality changes, nervousness, frequent mood swings, isolation - in mental disorders.
A strong desire to drink in combination with swelling on the face, legs, a rare urge to urinate - with pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis.

Regardless of the cause, insufficient fluid intake leads to dehydration. It is manifested by dry mouth, sagging skin, the appearance of wrinkles, sharpening of facial features, apathy, and severe weakness.

Diagnostics

One of the most common causes of thirst is diabetes. Every year the number of patients with this disease increases. Therefore, early detection of diabetes using a blood test for glucose levels and a glucose tolerance test is carried out for all risk groups. First of all, they try to exclude kidney pathology and dehydration when the body overheats.

The cause of unquenchable thirst can be determined using the following tests:

general urine analysis;
thyroid hormones (TSH, T3, T4, ATPO);
renal tests (bound and free bilirubin, ALT, AST, thymol test);
kidney function indicators – urea, creatinine, uric acid, GFR.

The following instrumental diagnostic methods are used:

Ultrasound of the thyroid and parathyroid glands, kidneys.
Chest X-ray.
Fibrogastroduodenoscopy.
CT, PET, MRI of the brain.

Treatment

The treatment method is chosen depending on the clinical situation. A comprehensive examination and determination of the stage and severity of the disease is required. For diabetes mellitus, a low-carbohydrate diet, glucose-lowering medications, and increased physical activity are prescribed.

A possible cause of polydipsia is taking metformin (an antidiabetic drug). If a connection between thirst and the start of taking it is identified, the dose is adjusted or the medication is replaced. To eliminate diabetes insipidus, vasopressin drugs are prescribed, which compensate for its deficiency. Thanks to this, the process of fluid reabsorption in the kidneys is restored and thirst disappears. For infectious diseases of the lungs, intestines, and kidneys, antibacterial or antiviral drugs are prescribed.

When body temperature rises, antipyretics are used - Analgin, Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Mefenamic acid. Physical cooling methods are also used - applying an ice pack, blowing cold air.

Thirst that occurs after taking diuretic drugs does not need to be relieved. With high blood pressure and edema, the volume of fluid during the day is sharply limited (sometimes to 0.5-1 liters per day). Mental disorders require consultation with a psychiatrist or psychotherapist.

Thirst in healthy people does not require special treatment. It is recommended to carry out the following activities:

drink clean still water;
do not replace water with tea, coffee, or sweet drinks;
avoid exposure to the sun;
do not eat salty foods;
drink water during and after exercise;
ensure optimal humidity in the room - frequent cleaning of floors, installation of humidifiers, ventilation.

In conclusion, it must be said that a constant feeling of thirst occurs in healthy people and in patients with various diseases. A general practitioner or therapist can understand this situation. Be healthy!