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View original article on NHS Choices

It's normal to sometimes feel thirsty, but it's not normal to constantly feel thirsty even when you're drinking a lot. See a GP to find out what's causing your excessive thirst.

Most of the time if you're feeling thirsty it's because you need to drink more fluids.

This can happen if you:

• sweat a lot after doing exercise
• are unwell with sickness and diarrhoea
• do not drink enough fluids
• drink too much alcohol or caffeine
• eat salty or spicy food
• have a high temperature
• are pregnant

Important

Drink more fluids and avoid alcohol or caffeine to see if it helps. If you do not, you may be at risk of becoming dehydrated.

See a GP if you have excessive thirst and:

You may think you're thirsty when you actually have a dry mouth.

If it's a dry mouth, you may have:

• a burning sensation or soreness in your mouth
• changes in your sense of taste
• difficulty speaking, eating or swallowing

Find out more about dry mouth