Are you always thirsty? Could that be a symptom of diabetes? (Polydipsia)

Even if you drink plenty of water, don't eat too much salty food, and don't exercise enough to break a sweat, are you still thirsty? Do you often feel dry and chapped lips? If so, this is something you should definitely talk to your doctor about. This is because excessive thirst and dry mouth are two of the main symptoms of high blood sugar. You may have diabetes, but you may not know it. If you are already taking diabetes medication, it may be time to adjust your treatment regimen a little more.

How does this excessive thirst occur in diabetes?

This uncontrollable thirst that occurs with diabetes is medically known as polydipsia . This condition can be seen in both types of diabetes.

Simply put, there are two main types of diabetes.

1. Diabetes Mellitus: This is the type we all commonly know as "diabetes." What happens in this is that your blood sugar levels become very high. There are two types of this as well.

• Type 1 Diabetes: This is an autoimmune disease. This means that our own immune system destroys the cells in our own pancreas that make insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps sugar in the blood enter cells to produce energy.
• Type 2 Diabetes: This occurs when the body does not make enough insulin, or the insulin it does make does not work properly.

2. Diabetes Insipidus: This is a very rare condition. It has nothing to do with blood sugar levels. It affects the kidneys and the hormones that regulate their function. This causes the body to produce excessive amounts of urine. Frequent urination can dehydrate the body and cause excessive thirst.

So you can see, both high blood sugar and frequent urination can cause severe, constant thirst.

Thirst is a major warning sign of diabetes!

Think of insulin as a key that helps our cells use glucose as fuel to make energy. Now, when your body doesn't have enough of this insulin key, or when it doesn't work properly, all the sugar that can't get into the cells builds up in the blood.

At this time, two superheroes in our body start working. Those are our kidneys .

When this happens, the kidneys can't reabsorb all of this extra sugar back into the body. Then, they start to excrete it in the urine. The important thing is, this sugar doesn't just go out on its own. Just like squeezing water out of a sponge, it pulls fluids from our body's tissues and then excretes it in the urine. This process is what causes the body to become dehydrated and you to feel unbearably thirsty.

Is this because of diabetes or is there another reason?

If you're not thirsty no matter how much you drink, or if you're urinating an unusual amount of urine per day, you may have polydipsia. But don't panic and immediately conclude that you have diabetes. There are other causes of excessive thirst and dry mouth.

This condition can be caused by certain medications in particular.

In addition, dry mouth can also be seen as a major symptom in other medical conditions other than diabetes.

• Salivary gland diseases
• Sjogren's syndrome
• HIV/AIDS

The risks of ignoring excessive thirst

This excessive thirst is not just a nuisance. If ignored, it can lead to serious health problems.

1. Dehydration: Continued dehydration can cause nausea, dizziness, headaches, and fainting. Dehydration also reduces the amount of urine you produce. This prevents the body from excreting excess sugar in the urine. This can cause blood sugar levels to rise rapidly and uncontrollably.

2. Uncontrolled high blood sugar levels: Whether you have undiagnosed diabetes or poorly controlled diabetes, high blood sugar levels are a risk to your entire body. Managing diabetes properly means reducing the risk of the following complications:

What do we do about this excessive thirst?

If your excessive thirst is caused by diabetes, the best solution is to control it. This requires a diagnosis and a proper treatment plan. All of this should be done under the guidance of your doctor .

• Medications to control blood sugar: If you have type 1 diabetes, you will need to inject insulin several times a day or use an insulin pump. If you have type 2 diabetes, you may need medication if diet and exercise alone are not enough. This includes pills like metformin and sometimes insulin.
• Surgery: If you are obese and have type 2 diabetes, you may want to consider weight loss surgery. It can help you lose a significant amount of weight, normalize your blood sugar levels, and possibly eliminate diabetes medications.
• Lifestyle changes: Eating a healthy diet and exercising daily can improve almost any health condition, including diabetes. You can seek the help of a nutritionist to create a meal plan that focuses on carbohydrates. If you smoke, make quitting a priority.

Temporary solutions for dry mouth

While you're trying to manage your diabetes, you can try these things to get relief from dry mouth.

• Chew sugar-free gum or suck on something like a sugar-free orange slice. This will help stimulate saliva production.
• Reduce your intake of coffee and tea (caffeine).
• Do not use mouthwashes that contain alcohol.
• Drink a few sips of water throughout the day.
• Some over-the-counter medications for colds and allergies (antihistamines, decongestants) can further dehydrate the body. Avoid taking these without medical advice.
• Use a humidifier to add moisture to the air in the room where you sleep.
• Avoid chewing tobacco or smoking completely.