## Thirst as a symptom If you often feel thirsty or notice that you are drinking much more than usual, this is a reason to see a doctor such as a general practitioner to determine the possible cause. Persistent thirst is a nonspecific symptom that requires a detailed diagnosis. - Dehydration: this is the first and most obvious reason, which indicates that you are drinking too little. Strong thirst and dry mouth along with fluid loss (with [diarrhea](https://ul.orna.me/KOge/librarydisease?id=197) or vomiting, profuse sweating) are signals to get more water in the body. - Excessive consumption of salt: salt draws fluid out of the cells. Medical studies strongly advise against adding too much salt to food. - Diabetes mellitus: unquenchable thirst combined with frequent urination, weakness, hunger, and poorly healing skin wounds can be a symptom of diabetes. Insufficient production or insulin insensitivity of body tissues leads to the accumulation of large amounts of glucose in the blood, and this excess is disposed of through the kidneys with urine — and the sugars "pull" a lot of water on themselves. - Non-sugar diabetes: despite similar names, the mechanisms of [diabetes](https://ul.orna.me/KOge/librarydisease?id=43) mellitus and non-sugar diabetes are different. The basis of this rare pathology is either an issue with the central nervous system, responsible for the formation of the hormone vasopressin or an issue with the kidneys of this hormone, which leads to uncontrolled and very abundant urination and dehydration. - Dry mouth (xerostomia): occurs due to decreased production of saliva — for example, against the background of taking certain medications, salivary gland pathology (including malignant nature), Sjögren's syndrome, and smoking. - Anemia: thirst is often associated with severe forms of [anemia](https://ul.orna.me/KOge/librarydisease?id=1), where it is part of a rich complex of symptoms. - Hypercalcemia: calcium is among the micronutrients whose levels are strictly regulated by the body, and its increase is often a signal of impaired parathyroid gland and kidney function. It can also be one of the laboratory symptoms of [tuberculosis](https://ul.orna.me/KOge/librarydisease?id=26), [sarcoidosis](https://ul.orna.me/KOge/librarydisease?id=146), or cancer in the body.