Diabetes and Hydration: The Reasons Why You’re Always Thirsty and Pee More

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For those living with diabetes, hunger pangs and extreme thirst are nothing new. Glucose has a very close relationship with how the body processes food and water, and this relationship is first to get impacted, in the case of diabetes.

When the body is not capable of producing insulin, it is up to the kidneys to flush it out of the system and ends up putting undue pressure on it. This is the reason why it’s important to pay close attention to your hydration habits and to seek out expert help for it in time.

Keep reading to know more in detail about diabetes’ impact on your thirst levels and urination habits. 

The Answer to Age-Old Question of Why Diabetes Makes You More Thirsty and Pee More

While diabetes can cause a lot of problems to your body, one of the main aspects is that it can disrupt the production of insulin. As a hormone, the function of insulin is to draw out glucose from the food and into the cells, to produce energy. This is what causes increased blood sugar levels. But when there is a disruption in the production of insulin, much of glucose goes unprocessed, putting pressure on the kidneys, and losing glucose through urine. 

This process is what causes frequent urination and subsequent dehydration, due to the flushing out of glucose along with hydrating fluids from the body. Initially, most patients don’t realise that they are urinating more often. In a lot of cases, the discovery happens when their sleep starts getting disrupted due to frequent urination, and it further causes fatigue throughout the day. 

Excessive thirst is a common diabetes sign reported by most people. While feeling thirsty after strenuous activity, or being out in the sun is quite normal, this type of extreme thirst can’t simply be quenched with drinking water. This thirst that is caused by lack of insulin in the body, will not be quenched simply by a glass of water, and instead, requires overall diabetes management. 

When are these symptoms a cause for worry? 

Peeing a lot is considered a very common symptom for all forms of diabetes because the only way for the body to flush out glucose is through urination. When excessive urination and subsequent thirst is paired with fatigue, weight loss, blurred vision, swollen gums or tingling in the extremities, it is time to seek expert help. These are all problematic symptoms that indicate to poorly managed diabetes that is affecting other parts of your body. 

Summing Up…

Keeping a handle on your vitals and paying close attention to your body cues can go a long way in ensuring your best health. Changes in urination habits and thirst levels can wreak havoc on your daily routine and sleep hygiene. So it’s important to seek out information about diabetes-related symptoms and understand their root causes, and address them in turn. 

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