Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDiabetesHyperthyroidismPMSSleep ApneaAnxiety or DepressionUncommon Causes
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Diabetes
Hyperthyroidism
PMS
Sleep Apnea
Anxiety or Depression
Uncommon Causes
The article describes the causes of polyphagia as well as the accompanying symptoms that can help pinpoint the underlying cause.
Superb Images / Getty Images
Diabetes is a group of disorders that affects how your body processes and usesglucose(sugar). Left untreated, diabetes causes blood sugar to rise to harmful levels. This can cause progressive damage to multiple organs throughout the body.
Polyphagia is one of the “three Ps” of diabetes, along withpolyuria(increased urination) andpolydipsia(increased thirst).
The two main types of diabetes include:
Polyphagia with diabetes stems from the body’s inability to burn glucose for fuel due to the lack of insulin or insulin resistance. The lack of fuel causes extreme and often relentless hunger.
Polyphagia is more common with type 1 diabetes than type 2 diabetes.
Other symptoms of untreated diabetes include:
Hyperthyroidismoccurs when the thyroid gland produces too many thyroid hormones.Graves' disease, an autoimmune disease, is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism.
Polyphagia occurs because thyroid hormones increase thebasal metabolic rate. This is the rate at which calories are converted to energy. When too many thyroid hormones are produced, the rapid burning of calories sends signals the the brain that more food is needed.
In addition to polyphagia, other symptoms of hyperthyroidism include:
Untreated, hyperthyroidism can lead to heart problems, eye damage,osteoporosis(thinning bones), pregnancy complications, and infertility.
Premenstrual Syndrome
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)is a collection of physical and psychological symptoms experienced one to two weeks before a menstrual period.
In addition to polyphagia, other symptoms of PMS include:
As part of this response, the liver releases excessive amounts of glucose to provide extra fuel to deal with the stress.When you catch up on sleep, the body returns to its normal, balanced state.
However, if you have a chronic (persistent) disorder likesleep apnea—in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep—the ongoing high exposure to glucose can cause problems.
Among them, it can reduce the body’s sensitivity to insulin, leading to insulin resistance. This, in turn, can trigger polyphagia in the same way as type 2 diabetes.
In addition to polyphagia, sleep apnea can also cause symptoms like:
Chronic stress is also associated withmajor depressive disorder (MDD)andanxiety disorders. These mood disorders are chronic, meaning that you are exposed to persistently high levels of cortisol, resulting in high blood sugar levels and an increasing risk of insulin resistance. Together, these mechanisms contribute to polyphagia.
But, even if you only have occasional anxiety or depression, your appetite can increase because stress accelerates the basal metabolic rate, burning calories faster and making you feel hungry even after eating.
In addition to polyphagia, anxiety symptoms include:
Symptoms of depression also include:
Kleine-Levin Syndrome
Kleine-Levin syndrome is a genetic disorder primarily seen in adolescent males that causes characteristic symptoms lasting several days to weeks, including:
Between episodes, these symptoms disappear and a person may not remember everything that happened.
The exact cause of Kleine-Levin syndrome is unknown, but it is thought to be due to the malfunction of thehypothalamusandthalamus(parts of the brain that control appetite and sleep).
Prader-Willi Syndrome
Symptoms of Prader-Willi syndrome during infancy include weak muscle tone, feeding difficulties, poor growth, and delayed development. As the child gets older, other symptoms and characteristics develop, including:
Medication Side Effects
Some medications are known to cause polyphagia, including:
Polyphagia can also be a result ofmarijuana use(often referred to as the “munchies”).
Summary
Polyphagia is an abnormally strong, incessant hunger that can lead to overeating. It is strongly associated with uncontrolled diabetes and hyperthyroidism but is also seen with PMS, anxiety, depression, and sleep apnea. Certain medications can cause polyphagia as well as genetic disorders like Kleine-Levin syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome.
17 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Diabetes Association.Diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus.Diabetes Care. 2014;37(Supplement_1):S81-S90. doi:10.2337/dc14-S081
Ramachandran A.Know the signs and symptoms of diabetes.Indian J Med Res.2014 Nov;140(5):579–581.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of diabetes.
MedlinePlus.Hyperthyroidism.
Harvard Health.Premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
Centre for Studies of Human Stress.Biology of stress.
Diabetes Strong.Diabetes and sleep problems: causes and treatment options.
Cowie MR.Sleep apnea: State of the art.Trends Cardiovasc Med. 2017;27(4):280-289. doi:10.1016/j.tcm.2016.12.005
Simmons WK, Burrows K, Avery JA, et alAppetite changes reveal depression subgroups with distinct endocrine, metabolic, and immune states.Mol Psychiatry.2020 Jul;25(7):1457–1468. doi:10.1038/s41380-018-0093-6
National Institute of Diabetes Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms and causes of binge eating disorder.
National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.
National Institutes of Mental Health.Major depression.
National Institute Of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Kleine-Levin syndrome information page.
MedlinePlus.Prader-Willi syndrome.
MedlinePlus.Appetite-increased.
American Cancer Society.Marijuana and cancer.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
