Excessive thirst is an abnormally strong desire to drink
liquids. It can related to an underlying medical condition.
Increased thirst is not considered excessive when it is related
to a recent lack of drinking fluids. Also, people who have
always had a strong desire to drink a lot of fluids are not
considered to have excessive thirst. There are many potential
causes for this condition. When a person complains of an
excessive amount of thirst, the healthcare professional needs to
know: when the problem startedwhether the person feels
dehydrated or has a dry mouthwhether the thirst is constant or
occurs only at certain timeswhat types of liquids the person
drinks each dayhow much the person drinks each daywhether the
person has increased or decreased the amount of fluids he or she
drinks each daywhether the person's weight has changedhow much
the person exerciseswhat other medical conditions the person may
havewhat medications, drugs, or herbs a person may be
takingwhether the person is having any other symptom