Do you also feel thirsty all the time? Let's talk about this polydipsia!

It is normal to feel thirsty when we are tired or after eating a heavy meal. Drinking a glass or two of water will quench that thirst. But have you ever felt that no matter how much water you drink or what kind of liquid you drink, your thirst is not quenched? You keep drinking water... and more... but you are still thirsty. That is what we medically call polydipsia. This is not just thirst, it is something deeper than that. Let us talk about this in simple and detailed terms.

What exactly is Polydipsia?

Simply put, polydipsia is the medical term for excessive thirst or the urge to drink water uncontrollably. There are two main types of this.

1. Primary Polydipsia

What happens in this case is that you feel extremely thirsty, but there is no physical cause, that is, no disease, that is causing it. This is also divided into two parts.

• Psychogenic polydipsia: This is linked to mental health problems. It is especially common in people with conditions like schizophrenia . Doctors think that these people may drink too much water because their brains don't properly process thirst signals or because they are trying to cope with stress.
• Dipsogenic Polydipsia: This is caused by drinking too much water, either due to a defect in the hypothalamus, the part of our brain that controls thirst, or due to the over-confidence that "drinking a lot of water is good for the body."

2. Secondary Polydipsia

This is the most common type. In this case, there is a specific physical reason for your excessive thirst. It is often a symptom of a medical condition such as diabetes. It can also be caused by certain medications, such as diuretics, which are used to treat high blood pressure.

What are the symptoms of this condition?

Although polydipsia is a symptom of another disease, there are several symptoms that are unique to this condition. Also, the symptoms may vary depending on the underlying disease.

Main causes of excessive thirst

As we discussed earlier, this is often a symptom of another medical condition.

• Diabetes Mellitus: When your blood sugar levels are too high, your kidneys try to excrete the excess sugar in your urine. This causes you to urinate more often. When you lose too much water from your body, you become dehydrated and feel very thirsty. So you drink more water. This cycle goes on.

• Diabetes Insipidus: This is different from the diabetes we usually know. It is not related to the pancreas. This condition is caused by a problem with the kidneys or the pituitary gland. This gland produces a hormone that controls how much water the kidneys retain in the body.

• Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA): This is a dangerous complication of diabetes. When the body does not have enough insulin to use glucose, the body starts burning fat for energy. This causes chemicals called ketones to build up in the blood. When these build up in the blood, the blood becomes acidic and can be toxic to the body. The main symptoms of DKA are excessive thirst and excessive urination.

• Psychogenic Polydipsia: Some mental health conditions can cause an uncontrollable urge to drink water. Examples include schizophrenia , depression, and anorexia.

• Other causes: Dehydration due to excessive vomiting or diarrhea, excessive alcohol consumption , Addison's disease, kidney failure, and sickle cell anemia can also cause excessive thirst.

Is drinking too much water dangerous? (Complications)

Yes, they say too much of anything is not good. Even water is no exception. Drinking too much water can disrupt the chemical balance of the body and cause serious problems.

Hyponatremia

This means that the level of sodium in the blood is dangerously low. Normally, the excess water we drink is excreted in the urine. But when we drink more water than our body can handle, our blood becomes diluted. Think of it like adding more water to a salt-diluted glass of water. Sodium is an important electrolyte that regulates our blood pressure, nerve function, and the amount of water around our cells. When it is low, the following symptoms may occur:

• Headache
• Nausea and vomiting
• Muscle cramps
• Slow response
• Difficulty speaking (stuttering)
• Lack of energy
• Confusion
• Seizures

If this condition is left untreated, it can lead to organ damage, coma, and even death.

Water intoxication is a more severe form of hyponatremia. It is very rare, but can occur after heavy exercise, drinking too much water without a sodium-containing drink, mental illness, or severe vomiting/diarrhea.

How is it treated?

Treatment depends on what is causing your polydipsia. Your doctor will first try to find the cause.

• Medical tests: Blood tests to check your sodium and sugar levels, and urine tests to check for sugar in your urine. You may also be asked to measure how much fluid you drink and how much urine you produce over a 24-hour period.
• For Diabetes Mellitus: The necessary treatment (medication, insulin, diet) will be provided to properly control blood sugar levels.
• For Diabetes Insipidus: Hormones or other medications may be prescribed.
• For psychological causes (Psychogenic Polydipsia): Limiting the amount of water you drink, psychological counseling, and, if necessary, medication are recommended.

The most important thing is to see a doctor and get a proper diagnosis, rather than making decisions on your own, if you have these symptoms.