Thursday, April 23, 2009 fhope asks

Q: I am 18 yrs old. I can drink a glass of water and be thirsty a a couple minutes later

I am 18 years old. I can drink a whole glass of water and be thirsty a couple minutes later. I also urinate freqently. I am have no increase in my appetite. We have diabetes in my family. Should I be concerned with having diabetes?

Answers (2)

Notify me when there are new answers

Ginger Vieira

4/23/09 8:21pm

Hi,

If diabetes runs in your family: YES. Don't wait, go to your doctor and ask them to test you for diabetes. It's a simple test. They will probably prick your finger (it hurts for only a moment) to check your blood sugar, and they will test your urine for ketones - a protein that shows up in our urine when our blood sugar is too high.

Here are some other symptoms of diabetes.

You shouldn't hesitate to get tested. The sooner the better. Waiting too long, if you were in fact diabetic, can lead to some very dangerous situations.

Wondering if you might be diabetic is scary, but millions of us live with Type 1 and Type 2 every day, happily and healthfully.

Please talk to your family and your doctor.

-Ginger

Andrew Berry

12/ 9/09 12:22pm

I would meet with a physician. If it is diabetes, your body is not producing insulin which would be shuttling sugar into your cells to be used as fuel or stored as fat. This excess glucose stays in your blood stream. The increase in thirst as well as urination is your body's way of excreting this buildup of sugar. While this is happening, your body turns to amino acids from your muscle protein and ketone bodies from your fat tissues for fuels. Over time you will lose weight as your body is essentially "starving" itself. I would get in to see a doctor right away.

Related Questions

See all questions

Important:
We hope you find this general health information helpful. Please note however, that this Q&A is meant to support not replace the professional medical advice you receive from your doctor. No information in the Answers above is intended to diagnose or treat any condition. The views expressed in the Answers above belong to the individuals who posted them and do not necessarily reflect the views of The HealthCentral Network. The HealthCentral Network does not review or edit content posted by our community members, but reserves the right to remove any material it deems inappropriate.

Q: I am 18 yrs old. I can drink a glass of water and be thirsty a a couple minutes later

Related Questions

Ask a Question