Health
Ask a doc: ‘Why am I always thirsty — and what should I do about it?'
![Ask a doc: ‘Why am I always thirsty — and what should I do about it?' Ask a doc: ‘Why am I always thirsty — and what should I do about it?'](https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/02/woman-drinking-water.jpg)
If you’re always thirsty even though you try your best to drink water and stay hydrated, there may be health-related reasons.
Beyond impacting your quality of life, excessive thirst can be a symptom of some medical conditions.
Fox News Digital checked in with two doctors to flesh out the common causes behind constant water cravings.
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Here’s a deep dive.
What causes excessive thirst?
While there are many reasons a person may be feeling more thirsty than usual, there are some common culprits.
Beyond impacting your quality of life, excessive thirst can be a symptom of some medical conditions. (iStock)
Those include dehydration, metabolic disorders such as diabetes or high blood calcium levels, medication side effects and a problem with the pituitary gland or kidneys called diabetes insipidus, which can lead to increased thirst.
Atil Kargi, M.D., a clinical endocrinologist in the department of neurosurgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, broke down those causes in a conversation with Fox News Digital.
Dehydration
Dehydration can occur due to excessive sweating, diarrhea or vomiting, according to Kargi.
Alcohol and caffeine can also have diuretic effects that lead to dehydration.
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Eating a high-salt diet or spicy foods may also increase thirst, the doctor noted.
High blood sugar
Diabetes or high blood calcium levels can lead to increased urine production and dehydration.
This triggers thirst — which is the body’s first-line defense mechanism against dehydration, said Kargi.
Side effects of pharmaceuticals
Some medications can cause increased thirst.
![Woman drinking in bed](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/02/1200/675/woman-drinking-in-bed.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Dehydration, metabolic disorders such as diabetes or high blood calcium levels and medication side effects can lead to excessive thirst. (iStock)
“In some cases, this can simply be because of dry mouth, which can be observed in those persons taking medications to treat depression or other conditions,” the doctor said.
Other medications, such as lithium or diuretics, can cause increased urine production and therefore indirectly increase thirst sensation, Kargi added.
Diabetes insipidus
With this condition, the pituitary gland and kidneys fail to work together to keep water in the body.
“Normally, our pituitary glands produce a hormone called anti-diuretic hormone (AVP) that sends a signal to our kidneys that regulates how much urine we produce,” Kargi said.
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“AVP deficiency or certain kidney disorders can lead to increased water loss via urination, which triggers our thirst mechanism in an effort to prevent dehydration.”
People with diabetes insipidus do not have increased blood sugar levels, said Kargi.
“This condition should not be confused with the much more common form of diabetes, which refers to those persons having high blood sugar levels.”
Some autoimmune disorders
Certain autoimmune disorders can also lead to excessive thirst and dryness, said Marie-Elizabeth Ramas, M.D., a family physician at Southern New Hampshire Health in Nashua, New Hampshire.
![Woman drinking water](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/01/1200/675/woman-drinking-bottled-water.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Certain autoimmune disorders can also lead to excessive thirst and dryness, a doctor said. (iStock)
“Diseases like cystic fibrosis, Sjogren’s syndrome and other hormonal-related autoimmune disorders can lead to excessive thirst,” she told Fox News Digital.
Lifestyle changes to reduce excessive thirst
If high salt intake or spicy foods seem to be worsening the sense of thirst, dietary changes may help, experts said.
“Drinking water rather than other liquids, such as energy drinks or caffeinated beverages, can help, too,” Kargi suggested.
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In the absence of severe disorders and pathologies, staying hydrated is one of the best ways to improve overall well-being, Ramas said.
“I recommend that my patients drink at least 2 to 3 liters of water a day,” she said. “Just taking 10 gulps of water every hour can help with improving energy, urination, bloating, skin and hair health.”
When to see a doctor
If people notice they’re producing large amounts of urine and urinating more frequently, this may be a reason to discuss symptoms with a doctor, Kargi told Fox News Digital.
If increased thirst occurs along with other worrisome symptoms — such as excessive fatigue, weakness or weight loss — this may signal a doctor to check laboratory tests to rule out more serious medical conditions, he added.
![health test](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2020/08/1200/675/iStock-989387872.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
If increased thirst occurs along with other symptoms — such as excessive fatigue, weakness or weight loss — it is recommended to see a doctor for an exam and laboratory tests. (iStock)
In most cases of increased thirst, doctors can arrive at a diagnosis and treatment plan with a detailed exam and simple laboratory tests, Kargi said.
Not all patients who report increased thirst have an underlying medical condition.
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“We sometimes encounter cases in which psychological factors leading to a sensation of dry mouth may be causing excessive thirst sensation without any other clear reason,” the doctor said.
This condition, called “psychogenic polydipsia,” can be diagnosed with a water deprivation test, Kargi said.
![A man pours cold water into a glass.](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/06/1200/675/iStock-1440128467.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
In the absence of severe disorders and pathologies, staying hydrated is one of the best ways to improve overall well-being, a doctor said. (iStock)
When treating his own patients who complain of increased thirst, the doctor starts by gathering a complete history, focusing on diet and lifestyle, then asks about any other symptoms.
“If you are a patient who’s seeing a doctor for a complaint of increased thirst, please tell your doctor about any other medical conditions you may have and any medications you are taking,” he advised.
“If the cause is not apparent from the initial history and exam, we may need to investigate further with blood and urine tests.”
High blood sugar or high blood calcium levels may require an endocrinologist for evaluation and treatment, Kargi noted.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.
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Health
Experts laud injection that reportedly offers 100% protection against HIV/AIDS
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- Twice-yearly shots used to treat AIDS were 100% effective in preventing new infections in women, according to a new study.
- There were no infections among the young women and girls who received the shots in a study of about 5,000 participants in South Africa and Uganda.
- The shots, made by U.S. drugmaker Gilead and sold as Sunlenca, are currently approved as a treatment for HIV in several regions.
Twice-yearly shots used to treat AIDS were 100% effective in preventing new infections in women, according to study results published Wednesday.
There were no infections in the young women and girls that got the shots in a study of about 5,000 in South Africa and Uganda, researchers reported. In a group given daily prevention pills, roughly 2% ended up catching HIV from infected sex partners.
“To see this level of protection is stunning,” said Salim Abdool Karim of the injections. He is director of an AIDS research center in Durban, South Africa, who was not part of the research.
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The shots made by U.S. drugmaker Gilead and sold as Sunlenca are approved in the U.S., Canada, Europe and elsewhere, but only as a treatment for HIV. The company said it is waiting for results of testing in men before seeking permission to use it to protect against infection.
A pharmacist holds a vial of lenacapavir, the new HIV prevention injectable drug, at the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation’s Masiphumelele Research Site in Cape Town, South Africa, on July 23, 2024. The twice-yearly shots used to treat AIDS were 100% effective in preventing new infections in women, according to study results published on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht)
The results in women were published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine and discussed at an AIDS conference in Munich. Gilead paid for the study and some of the researchers are company employees. Because of the surprisingly encouraging results, the study was stopped early and all participants were offered the shots, also known as lenacapavir.
While there are other ways to prevent HIV infection, like condoms or daily pills, consistent use has been a problem in Africa. In the new study, only about 30% of participants given Gilead’s Truvada or Descovy prevention pills actually took them — and that figure dropped over time.
The prospect of a twice-a-year shot is “quite revolutionary news” for our patients, said Thandeka Nkosi, who helped run the Gilead research at the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation in Masiphumelele, South Africa. “It gives participants a choice and it just eliminates the whole stigma around taking pills” to prevent HIV.
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Experts working to stop the spread of AIDS are excited about the Sunlenca shots but are concerned Gilead hasn’t yet agreed on an affordable price for those who need them the most. The company said it would pursue a “voluntary licensing program,” suggesting that only a select number of generic producers would be allowed to make them.
“Gilead has a tool that could change the trajectory of the HIV epidemic,” said Winnie Byanyima, executive director of the Geneva-based U.N. AIDS agency.
![HIV shot](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/07/1200/675/HIV-2.png?ve=1&tl=1)
A pharmacist holds a vial of lenacapavir at the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation’s Masiphumelele Research Site in Cape Town, South Africa, on July 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht)
She said her organization urged Gilead to share Sunlenca’s patent with a U.N.-backed program that negotiates broad contracts allowing generic drugmakers to make cheap versions of drugs for poorer countries worldwide. As an HIV treatment, the drug costs more than $40,000 a year in the U.S., although what individuals pay varies.
Dr. Helen Bygrave of Doctors Without Borders said in a statement that the injections could “reverse the epidemic if it is made available in the countries with the highest rate of new infections.” She urged Gilead to publish a price for Sunlenca that would be affordable for all countries.
In a statement last month, Gilead said it was too early to say how much Sunlenca would cost for prevention in poorer countries. Dr. Jared Baeten, Gilead’s senior vice president of clinical development, said the company was already talking to generics manufacturers and understood how “deeply important it is that we move at speed.”
Another HIV prevention shot, Apretude, which is given every two months, is approved in some countries, including in Africa. It sells for about $180 per patient per year, which is still too pricey for most developing countries.
![HIV shot](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/07/1200/675/HIV-3.png?ve=1&tl=1)
A lab technician works with vials of lenacapavir at the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation’s Masiphumelele Research Site in Cape Town, South Africa, on July 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht)
Byanyima said the people who need long-lasting protection the most include women and girls who are victims of domestic violence and gay men in countries where same-sex relationships are criminalized. According to UNAIDS, 46% of new HIV infections globally in 2022 were in women and girls, who were three times more likely to get HIV than males in Africa.
Byanyima compared the news about Sunlenca to the discovery decades ago of AIDS drugs that could turn HIV infection from a death sentence into a chronic illness. Back then, South African President Nelson Mandela suspended patents to allow wider access to the drugs; the price later dropped from about $10,000 per patient per year to about $50.
Olwethu Kemele, a health worker at the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, predicted the shots could boost the number of people coming in for HIV prevention and slow the virus’ spread. She said young women often hide the pills to avoid questions from boyfriends and family members. “It makes it hard for the girls to continue,” she said.
In a report on the state of the global epidemic released this week, UNAIDS said that fewer people were infected with HIV in 2023 than at any point since the late 1980s. Globally, HIV infects about 1.3 million people every year and kills more than 600,000, mainly in Africa. While significant progress has been made in Africa, HIV infections are rising in Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.
In other research presented at the AIDS conference, Andrew Hill of the University of Liverpool and colleagues estimated that once production of Sunlenca is expanded to treat 10 million people, the price should fall to about $40 per treatment. He said it was critical that health authorities get access to Sunlenca as soon as possible.
“This is about as close as you can get to an HIV vaccine,” he said.
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