PolyuriaFrequent urination, Passing urine oftenPassing unusually large amounts of urine, often the first symptom of diabetes. Getting up repeatedly at night is the classic pattern.
Polydipsia
Pronounced pol-ee-DIP-see-uh
Also known as Excessive thirst
Constant, excessive thirst that is not relieved by drinking — a common early symptom of untreated diabetes.
It is the body's response to the fluid lost through . The thirst is real and physiological, not a habit, and it persists as long as the blood sugar stays high.
In a hot climate it is easily dismissed as normal — which is part of why diabetes is often diagnosed late here.
Related terms
- HyperglycaemiaHigh blood sugar, HyperglycemiaBlood sugar that is too high. It builds up slowly and often causes thirst, frequent urination and tiredness.
- DiabetesDiabetes mellitus, SugarDiabetes is a condition in which blood glucose stays too high, either because the body makes too little insulin or because it has stopped responding to it. Pakistan has one of the highest rates in the world, and a large share of people with it do not yet know.
- DehydrationFluid depletion, Paani ki kamiDehydration is a shortage of water and salts in the body, from losing more than is taken in through diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, heat or simply not drinking. In children and older people it becomes dangerous quickly and is the main cause of death from ordinary diarrhoea.