Is Excessive Thirst a Symptom of Diabetes?

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which the body doesn't produce enough insulin or doesn't process insulin efficiently. The result is hyperglycemia, or high blood glucose levels. The American Diabetes Association estimates that 8 percent of the U.S. population suffers from some type of diabetes.

Function

• Foods containing sugars or other carbohydrates turn into glucose in the body. The pancreas secretes insulin. The insulin bonds with the glucose, allowing it to provide energy to the body and feed the brain.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of diabetes include excessive thirst, increased hunger, frequent urination, blurred vision, fatigue, and tingling in the fingers and toes.

Hyperglycemia

• Blood levels of more than 120 mg/dl (milligrams of glucose to deciliters of blood) signal hyperglycemia. When the body has excessive of blood glucose, signals are sent to the brain telling it to drink water to dilute the glucose.

Kidney Function

• The excess glucose is then passed to the kidney, becomes thick and mixes with the urine. Because it has thickened, it needs more water to help it pass through the kidney.

Discharge

• Eventually the bladder fills and the diabetic urinates. But because so much water was needed to complete the cycle, more signals are sent to the brain telling it to drink. The cycle continues until treatment is provided to lower the blood glucose level.