Thirsty again? 5 Unexpected reasons why you may crave water all the while

KEY STORY

• Thirst is your body’s way of telling you that it’s running low on water, which it needs to work well. If you have been out on a jog or walking super long distances without having carried a sipper along, it is normal to feel thirsty.

• Maybe you ate way too many salty chips (namkeen) and now you crave water. Feeling so parched if you have been up to such activities is sequential and natural, not to worry. In summer we sweat a lot more, so do we after strenuous gym activity.

• But if you have not really been up to any strenuous or different activity that causes temporary dehydration and yet your body keeps feeling thirsty all the while… if you’re constantly refilling your cup without relief, it could signal another health problem and maybe it is time the cause is investigated by your GP!

• Here’s a look at what some people found to be the underlying conditions that left them feeling parched all the time.

  1. Diabetes: Polydipsia or excessive thirst and increased urination are common initial symptoms of diabetes. It is also usually accompanied by temporary or prolonged dryness of the mouth. When you have diabetes, glucose builds up in your blood, forcing your kidneys to overwork to try and absorb it. When your kidneys can’t keep up, it causes you to produce more urine than normal. That excessive attempt to flush out extra sugar will continue till the sugar level in the blood normalises and in the process make one feel thirsty and crave more water.

  2. Medication: Excessive thirst can sometimes be a side effect of certain types of medication, including lithium, certain antipsychotics, and diuretics (water tablets). If you think your medicine is causing your thirst, speak to your GP about this. The doctor may change the prescription and bring in a different medicine or reduce your dose.

  3. Severe Dehydration: It means your body doesn’t have enough water to carry out normal tasks, and thirst is the main symptom. There can be several causes, such as too much exercise, suffering from diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, and too much sweating. Note the patient’s colour of urine. If the urine is too dark yellow, the sides of the mouth too dry, dry skin, accompanied by headache, no tears when a child cries, sluggishness, crankiness, fewer wet diapers in case of kids… it could be dehydration that needs immediate medical intervention.

  4. Anaemia: Anaemia means your body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. This condition can be from birth or acquired later on in life, either due to lifestyle or another illness or heavy bleeding. Mild anaemia probably does not cause so much thirst, but if the condition is severe, one feels not just thirsty, but also dizzy, exhausted, weak. One’s pulse quickens, the skin turns pale or yellowish, sweating etc.

  5. Hypercalcemia: Hypercalcemia means the calcium levels in your blood are above normal. What causes Hypercalcemia? The reasons could be one’s overactive parathyroid glands (hyperparathyroidism), a signal of another illness (tuberculosis, sarcoidosis), and even cancer (lung, breast, kidney, multiple myeloma). According to a report in WebMD, Hypercalcemia causes NOT ONLY excessive feeling of thirst but also brings along other symptoms like more frequent urination, upset stomach, nausea and vomiting, constipation, bone pain and muscle weakness, a sense of confusion, fatigue, and depression, quickened pulse, skipped beats of the heart etc.

  Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.