What’s polydipsia?

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Polydipsia is a symptom of several conditions, but it is not a disease in itself. The name means excessive thirst and with this condition people tend to drink too much fluid, usually water. With this condition, people may never feel satisfied with the amount of water they drink and end up consuming much more water than they should, which can lead to other conditions such as saline solution imbalance in the body.

Very often, people who have polydipsia show the first signs of suffering from diabetes. This is also true in animals. Diabetic dogs and cats can drink too much and always seem thirsty. If you already have diabetes and are starting to experience symptoms, you should bring it to the attention of your doctor. It could mean that you are not taking your medications regularly or that you need other or stronger medications to treat your diabetes.

Another subset of people who can suffer from polydipsia includes those who regularly drink tons of caffeinated beverages. Because caffeine is a diuretic, it can cause too much urination, and caffeinated beverages won’t satisfy thirst. People may find themselves drinking more or feeling thirsty all the time. It’s a good idea to watch the things you drink or eat that may contain caffeine and cut back on your consumption.

People with certain mental health conditions, particularly schizophrenia, may have polydipsia as a symptom as well. There are also some people with developmental disabilities who suffer from it. One difficulty with this condition in the mentally ill is its management, as those with impaired capacity may not discriminate between safe and unsafe fluid sources and lack impulse control. Failure to gauge your water intake can lead to serious side effects.

When the body is flooded with water, saline levels drop and people can develop a condition called hyponatremia, or water intoxication. People may appear drunk or disoriented, and without treatment to restore appropriate salt levels, tissue swelling can cause coma. If water intoxication is treated early, most people recover completely. However, if they suffer from chronic polydipsia and are in a state of reduced capacity, numerous cases of developing water intoxication can lead to significant damage of vital organs.

If you’re always thirsty and drinking a moderate amount of water doesn’t seem to quench your thirst, you should see your doctor. Polydipsia can be a good symptom in one sense because it can help indicate that there are health problems that require treatment. As stated earlier, the most common cause is diabetes, and early medical intervention may be the best way to avoid diabetes complications.

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