Symptom: Thirst

Thirst: Inappropriate excessive thirst.
Introduction: Excessive thirst as a symptom is usually also indicated by two other factors: drinking excessive water, and excessive urination. Sometimes it's hard to hard to know what's happening, and people tend to deny these symptoms. For example, dehydration from excessive urination is what causes thirst in some diseases (e.g. diabetes). Any thirst symptom can indicate serious conditions, and requires prompt professional medical attention.

Detailed cause information for symptom: Thirst:

Possible causes of symptom: Thirst (56 conditions)

Medications or substances causing symptom: Thirst (5 listings)

Medical conditions causing symptom: Thirst (22 conditions)

Medical articles on symptoms: These general medical articles may be of interest:

Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
Symptoms and Medical Malpractice
Medical mistakes and their rates, causes and prevention
Deaths and sudden death

Symptoms related to Thirst: dehydration (23), hunger (12), sweating (61), excessive hunger (12), food symptoms (22), thinness (4), weight gain (29), weight loss (120), overeating (10), undereating (11)
Symptoms: symptom center, symptom groups, symptom descriptions

Possible causes of symptom: Thirst: The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of Thirst as a symptom. There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor about your symptoms.

Some common causes of short-term thirst include:
- Dry mouth (type of Dental conditions)
Some other causes where it is not really true thirst include:
- Comfort drinking (sweet drinks)
- Infant bottle association - is an infant thirsty or does it need the bottle for nipple-association and comfort.
Dehydration - see also causes of dehydration such as:
- Fluid loss
- Sweating
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Hot flashes
- Sunburn
- Excessive dieting
- Anorexia nervosa
- Blood loss
- Internal bleeding (see Bleeding symptoms)
- Gastrointestinal bleeding
Diabetes - excessive thirst is a hallmark of various types of diabetes:
- Type 1 diabetes
- Type 2 diabetes
- Diabetic ketoacidosis
- HHNS
- Poorly controlled diabetes
Ecstasy - this illicit drug causes thirst.
Physical diseases with increased thirst include:
- Diabetes insipidus
- Hyperparathyroidism
- Certain kidney disorders
- Chronic kidney failure
- Potassium deficiency (type of Mineral deficiency) - such as due to diuretics
Psychological disorders with increased thirst include:
- Psychogenic thirst
- Compulsive thirst
Brain disorder
- Stroke
- Brain tumor
Certain medications
See also causes of dehydration and causes of dry mouth

Medications or substances causing Thirst: The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible causes of Thirst as a symptom. This list is incomplete and various other drugs or substances may cause your symptoms. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.

Diuretics
Diuretic overdose
Steroids
Ecstasy
See also drugs causing dehydration

Conditions listing symptoms: Thirst: The following list of conditions have 'Thirst' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.