While it may be an inconvenient or mildly uncomfortable feeling, thirst is on your team. It’s a natural physiological function that signals to your body that it’s time to hydrate. Most of the time, feeling thirsty has a pretty simple solution: grab a glass of water. But what should you do if you feel thirsty all the time?
Meet the experts: Laura M. Hahn, M.D., an internal medicine physician at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore; Heather Rosen, M.D., a family medicine physician with Recovery Care in Jeanette, PA; Prudence Hall, M.D., founder and medical director of The Hall Center in Santa Monica, CA; Jessica Cording, R.D., C.D.N., a nutritionist and integrative health coach; Becky Kerkenbush, R.D.-A.P., founder of The Delightfuel Dietitian.
If it feels like you just can’t get enough water to quench your thirst, that could be a clue from your body that is worth listening to. General thirst is normal, and definitely not a sign to panic. If you get this feeling on a hot day or after a workout, that’s often normal. However, if the feeling of thirst persists for a longer period of time, especially if it continues after you hydrate properly, you may want to make an appointment with your doctor to check if you’re being impacted by one of these 13 sneaky reasons you’re thirsty all the time.
Common reasons you’re always thirsty
Type 1 or type 2 diabetes
Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can increase your risk of dehydration—especially if you’re not yet aware that you have the condition. When blood sugar levels are too high, your body prompts your kidneys to produce more urine to get rid of the excess glucose, explains Heather Rosen, M.D., a family medicine physician with Recovery Care in Jeanette, PA. “Frequent urination, another common symptom, will bring on thirst,” she adds. “This leads to drinking more fluids, which compounds the problem.”
If you experience excessive thirst and urination, as well as other symptoms like unexplained weight loss, fatigue, or irritability, your doc can perform a blood glucose test to find out if you have diabetes.
Xerostomia (dry mouth)
Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, is often mistaken for excessive thirst. “It’s an abnormal dryness of the mucous membranes in the mouth, due to a reduction of the flow or change in the composition of saliva,” says Dr. Rosen. If your glands aren’t making enough saliva, that can lead to other pesky symptoms like bad breath, trouble chewing, and thick, stringy saliva, per the Mayo Clinic. Common causes of dry mouth include smoking tobacco or marijuana, snoring, mouth breathing, or simply aging.
Dry mouth may also be a side effect of several prescription drugs (including antidepressants and blood pressure medications), allergy medicines (such as Benadryl or Claritin), and dizziness or motion sickness medications (like Antivert or Dramamine), says Laura M. Hahn, M.D., an internal medicine physician at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
“There are also several diseases that can cause dry mouth, so this is always worth bringing up with your doctor,” Dr. Rosen adds. They include diabetes and certain autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or Sjögren’s syndrome.
Fluctuations during your menstrual cycle
If you feel the urge to guzzle water during your period, it’s totally normal. “Estrogen and progesterone levels can both affect fluid volume,” says Dr. Rosen. “Add to that blood loss from the cycle itself—especially if your periods are on the heavy side—and the result is a compensatory increase in thirst.”
Thyroid issues
Your thyroid—the butterfly-shaped gland located at the bottom of your neck—is responsible for pumping out certain hormones that help regulate your appetite, energy, internal temperature, and other vital body functions.
Unfortunately, thyroid problems are pretty common among women, says Prudence Hall, M.D., founder and medical director of The Hall Center in Santa Monica, CA. When the gland produces too much or too little hormone, it can spur a variety of nonspecific symptoms, including abnormally heavy periods, anxiety, feeling hot, and dry mouth—all of which can lead to increased thirst.
What’s more, people suffering from hypothyroidism specifically (producing too little thyroid hormone) are more likely to suffer from other thirst-inducing health conditions, such as type 1 diabetes, Sjögren’s syndrome, and anemia due to B12 deficiency, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Chronic stress
“Chronic stress causes our adrenal glands to under-function, which may result in low blood pressure when the stress is severe,” says Dr. Hall. “This can cause dizziness, depression, anxiety, and also extreme thirst.”
Add Prevention as a preferred source in your Google search results.
Use your Google account to add this to your settings.
Thirst is your body’s way of adding more water to your blood in an attempt to raise your blood pressure. Really, the only long-term solution for this is to decrease and better manage your stress levels using strategies like therapy, meditation, exercise, and prioritizing sleep.
Consuming diuretic foods
“Foods that have a diuretic effect can make you thirsty because they cause you to urinate more,” explains nutritionist and integrative health coach Jessica Cording, R.D., C.D.N. This includes foods like celery, asparagus, beets, lemons, melons, ginger, and parsley.
“Although these foods have a lot of health benefits, consider this effect yet another reason to incorporate a wide variety of fruits and veggies into your diet: You’ll cover your nutritional bases and keep your thirst in check,” Cording says. You can also balance the scales by eating more fluid-rich foods, like oatmeal and brown rice, which soak up water during the cooking process.
Eating a low-carb diet
Feeling thirsty is a common side effect of the keto diet, since the eating plan requires you to significantly slash your carbohydrate intake. Carbs absorb and hold onto more water than protein and fat, says Becky Kerkenbush, R.D.-A.P., founder of The Delightfuel Dietitian. As a result, you’ll have to pee more often, causing your thirst levels to spike—but staying on top of your water intake should counteract this issue.
Pregnancy
There are several signs of pregnancy to watch for, including excessive thirst. Your blood volume increases during your first trimester, which forces your kidneys to create excess fluid that winds up in your bladder, according to the Mayo Clinic, meaning your trips to the bathroom may become more frequent. What’s more, the nausea and morning sickness that accompany pregnancy can lead to a dip in hydration.
Perimenopause and menopause
Alongside hot flashes, headaches, and mood changes, people often report feeling more thirsty during perimenopause and menopause. Your body undergoes a huge hormonal shift during this period, particularly in your levels of estrogen and progesterone, which can affect your body’s balance of fluids and electrolytes.
“Any condition that alters your water or salt balance in the body can trigger thirst,” says Dr. Hahn. Unfortunately, this can cause a frustrating mix of symptoms that leaves you both thirsty and running to the bathroom to pee. While your instincts may tell you to drink fewer fluids to minimize these bathroom visits, try to resist that urge. Maintaining adequate hydration is still very important during perimenopause and menopause.
Excessive bleeding
Ongoing or sudden blood loss—thanks to issues like heavy periods and bleeding ulcers—may spike your thirst levels as your body aims to make up for the fluid loss. Excessive bleeding is also a common cause of anemia, a condition in which your body loses red blood cells faster than they can be replaced, says Dr. Rosen. A physical exam and blood test will determine if you have anemia, and the treatment you receive will depend on the type you’re diagnosed with.
Diabetes insipidus
Diabetes insipidus is a rare disorder that affects your body’s fluid balance and water absorption, according to the Mayo Clinic. It isn’t related to type 1 or 2, but it does share some of the same symptoms, such as dehydration and a busy bladder. Because you end up losing vast amounts of water through your urine, thirst strikes as your body tries to compensate for the fluid loss, says Dr. Hall. Since there are several types of diabetes insipidus and it can be caused by other conditions, your doctor will perform a variety of tests to determine which treatment option is best for you.
Hypercalcemia
Supplements can be a great way to add in the vitamins and nutrients your diet may be lacking. But, like anything, excessive amounts can do more harm than good. High doses of calcium or vitamin D supplements can cause hypercalcemia, a condition marked by excessively high levels of calcium in your blood. According to the Mayo Clinic, this can weaken bones, create kidney stones, and make you feel thirsty. More serious cases can also affect your heart and your brain. More common than overdoing it on the supplements, hypercalcemia is often caused by hyperactive parathyroid glands. Luckily, this condition can be identified through just a basic blood test.
Reactions to medication
It’s always important to talk to your doctor about possible symptoms and side effects before starting a new medication. Many common medications, like those prescribed for blood pressure, diabetes, or mental health support, can impact kidney function or cause diarrhea and increased urination. All of these symptoms can lead to dehydration and a feeling of excessive thirst. If you are on medication that increases your risk of dehydration, don’t just stop taking it. Talk to your doctor about how to improve your daily hydration levels or better manage this side effect.
Read the full article here
