Contents:
- Medical Video: What causes excess night thirst?-Dr. Mahesh DM
- Often thirsty, even though you drink plenty of fluids, polydipsia signs
- What are the causes of polydipsia?
- Is polydipsia dangerous?
- Prevention and treatment of polydipsia
Medical Video: What causes excess night thirst?-Dr. Mahesh DM
Usually, thirst is the first sign of dehydration. You may also feel more thirsty after exercising, eating salty food, or while working in the hot sun for a long time. For cases like this, thirst will quickly disappear after you drink fluids. However, what does it mean if you often thirst even though you drink a lot?
Often thirsty, even though you drink plenty of fluids, polydipsia signs
Polydipsia is an extraordinary thirsty condition that beats. You will continue to drink, drink and drink, but still feel thirsty often. This condition can last for days, weeks, even longer depending on what causes it.
In addition to frequent thirst, someone who has polydipsia will also go back and forth to urinate. Usually, the amount of normal urine volume released by healthy adults ranges from around 3 liters per day. Not because polydipsia keeps you drinking, the volume of urine thrown away can be as much as 16 liters in one day.
Other common polydipsia symptoms include continuous dryness of the mouth, and can also be followed by symptoms of the underlying disease / condition.
What are the causes of polydipsia?
Polydipsia usually presents as a symptom of an underlying medical condition, such as diabetes mellitus or diabetes insipidus, or certain psychological problems - ranging from daily stress, ordinary boredom and anxiety, to certain mental disorders such as schizophrenia, anorexia and mood disorders.
The tendency for frequent thirst can also be caused by a decrease in the levels of antidiuretic hormones in the body that cause you to urinate excessively (polyuria). The condition of the body that keeps urinating in abnormal amounts in the end can also cause you to become dehydrated and continue to drink a lot even if it's not necessary.
Polydipsia can also appear as a side effect of the use of certain drugs, such as water pills (diuretics), corticosteroids, or liquid salt intake (ORS or infusion).
Is polydipsia dangerous?
Reporting from WebMD, drinking too much due to extreme thirst can disrupt the chemical balance in the body. Although it will be released into urine, the body still cannot store fluid in a very large amount. Excessive fluid intake can also make blood runny. This can cause sodium in the blood to decrease. This condition is called hyponatremia.
Symptoms that appear in hyponatremia are:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Cramps
- Reflexes are slow
- Talk becomes unclear
- Fatigue
- Confusion
- Seizures
Hyponatremia should not be allowed to continue. Hyponatremia that worsens can lead to coma or even death.
Prevention and treatment of polydipsia
For precautionary measures, keep your fluid intake to prevent dry and dehydrated mouth due to lack of fluids. You can get liquids not only from water, but also from fruit or vegetables.
For the treatment of polydipsia caused by disease, the treatment must follow the disease.
The most important thing is to make healthier lifestyle changes, such as eating healthy balanced foods, enough exercise and rest, and maintaining fluid intake in the body. In addition, routine counseling is done to maintain mental and physical health.
