Health
Ask a doc: ‘Why am I always thirsty — and what should I do about it?'
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Stat of the week
More than 59% of women may have high blood pressure by 2050, according to a new report from the American Heart Association.
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NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A new report by the American Heart Association (AHA) included some troubling predictions for the future of women’s health.
The forecast, published in the journal Circulation on Wednesday, projected increases in various comorbidities in American females by 2050.
More than 59% of women were predicted to have high blood pressure, up from less than 49% currently.
The review also projected that more than 25% of women will have diabetes, compared to about 15% today, and more than 61% will have obesity, compared to 44% currently.
As a result of these risk factors, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7%.
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke in women is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7% by 2050. (iStock)
Not all trends were negative, as unhealthy cholesterol prevalence is expected to drop to about 22% from more than 42% today, the report stated.
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Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods in Minnesota, commented on these “jarring findings.”
“The fact that on our current trajectory, cardiometabolic disease is projected to explode in women within one generation should be a huge wake-up call,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“Hypertension, diabetes, obesity — these are all major risk factors for heart disease, and we are already seeing what those risks are driving. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, eclipsing all other causes of death, including breast cancer.”
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. and around the world. (iStock)
Klodas warned that heart disease starts early, progresses “stealthily,” and can present “out of the blue in devastating ways.”
The AHA published another study on Thursday revealing one million hospitalizations, showing that heart attack deaths are climbing among adults below the age of 55.
The more alarming finding, according to Klodas, is that young women were found more likely to die after their first heart attack than men of the same age.
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“This is all especially tragic since heart disease is almost entirely preventable,” she said. “The earlier you start, the better.”
Children can show early evidence of plaque deposition in their arteries, which can be reversed through lifestyle changes if “undertaken early enough and aggressively enough,” according to the expert.
Moving more is one part of protecting a healthy heart, according to experts. (iStock)
Klodas suggested that rising heart conditions are associated with traditional risk factors, like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
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Doctors are also seeing higher rates of preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as gestational diabetes. Klodas noted that these are sex-specific risk factors that don’t typically contribute to complications until after menopause.
The best way to protect a healthy heart is to “do the basics,” Klodas recommended, including the following lifestyle habits.
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Klodas especially emphasized making improvements to diet, as the food people eat affects “every single risk factor that the AHA’s report highlights.”
“High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, excess weight – these are all conditions that are driven in part or in whole by food,” she said. “We eat multiple times every single day, which means what we eat has profound cumulative effects over time.”
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health.”
The doctor also recommends changing out a few snacks per day for healthier choices, which has been proven to “yield medication-level cholesterol reductions” in a month.
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“Keep up that small change and, over the course of a year, you could also lose 20 pounds and reduce your sodium intake enough to avoid blood pressure-lowering medications,” Klodas added.
“Women should not view the AHA report as inevitable. We have power over our health destinies. We just need to use it.”
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