Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPolydipsiaPolyuriaPolyphagiaDiagnosis: Are the Three P’s Enough?TreatmentNext in Diabetes GuideIs Diabetes Genetic?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Polydipsia
Polyuria
Polyphagia
Diagnosis: Are the Three P’s Enough?
Treatment
Next in Diabetes Guide
There are two types of diabetes,type 1andtype 2 diabetes.Type 1 diabetes occurs when a person doesn’t produce enough insulin, while type 2 occurs when a person doesn’t respond to insulin or is insulin-resistant. Roughly 34.2 million American adults have at least one of these two types of diabetes, which is about one in 10 people.
Three specific ailments are most common in people with diabetes:polydipsia,polyuria, andpolyphagia, which are known as the three P’s of diabetes.
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Polydipsia is the medical term used to describe extreme and excessive thirst. Often polydipsia is linked to conditions that affect the renal system and can cause a person to urinate more frequently than they should. This increase in urination leads the body to feel as though it needs to replace the liquid lost during urination. It has also been linked to conditions that lead to excessive fluid loss such as excessive sweating, high-salt diets, and the use of diuretics.
When it comes to diabetes, polydipsia is one of the most common symptoms. Since diabetes leads to an excessive amount of glucose in the blood, the body must do something to try to balance those levels. The kidneys create more urine so that the glucose can be excreted quickly, thus restoring glucose levels to normal.This can lead to a rapid loss of fluid and, in turn, thirstiness.
Polyuria means urinating a lot, and it often goes hand in hand with polydipsia. It is one of the most common symptoms of diabetes.It is so typical in people who have diabetes because when glucose builds up, it can enter tubules within the kidneys. If the glucose goes into those tubules but is unable to be reabsorbed back into the bloodstream, it leads to an increase in urination. While the kidneys attempt to filter out the glucose, they also filter out more water from other parts of the body. This leads to the overproduction of urine that then needs to be secreted.
It can be difficult to diagnose the cause of polyuria without taking into consideration polydipsia as they are typically both present at the same time. When one is extremely thirsty, they tend to urinate more from drinking more liquids. When one urinates more, they become more dehydrated and experience an increase in thirst.
Central Diabetes Insipidus and the Three P’sAlthough people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can present with polydipsia and polyuria, another type of rare disorder known ascentral diabetes insipidus (CDI)can also lead to both excessive thirst and urination. The cause of CDI, however, is not related to common diabetes and can be attributed to a specific deficiency in the protein arginine vasopressin.
Central Diabetes Insipidus and the Three P’s
Although people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can present with polydipsia and polyuria, another type of rare disorder known ascentral diabetes insipidus (CDI)can also lead to both excessive thirst and urination. The cause of CDI, however, is not related to common diabetes and can be attributed to a specific deficiency in the protein arginine vasopressin.
Polyphagia is the medical term used to describe excessive hunger. There are times when an increase in appetite is expected, such as after an increase in physical activity or during hormonal changes, but eating will typically satisfy the hunger and appetite levels will normalize following food consumption. In the case of polyphagia, eating will not stop the hunger.
In those with diabetes, since glucose is not easily transferred into cells to be used for energy, the body will continue to send signals to the brain that it is hungry because it isn’t getting the energy it needs from the food already eaten.
Managing and Preventing Complications of Diabetes
All three P’s are found in most diabetics, but for those with type 2 diabetes, they may be less noticeable than in those with type 1 diabetes. In some cases, those with diabetes may not experience these symptoms at all and could still have the condition.
For a healthcare provider to diagnose diabetes, they will take note of all the symptoms and perform some tests. Some tests a healthcare provider will conduct include:
Even if a person doesn’t have diabetes, the presence of polydipsia, polyuria, and polyphagia could indicate that blood glucose levels in the body are high. It’s vital to control blood glucose levels to avoid any health complications that can arise from it.
High blood sugar can lead to various health issues because it can cause blood vessel damage. When this happens, the risk for developingheart disease,kidney disease, vision or nerve problems, andstrokeare all increased.
Managing blood sugar levels can be easy to do if a person is aware of the symptoms to watch out for. In the case of low blood sugar, also known ashypoglycemia, keeping certain supplies handy such as fruit juice, regular soda, hard candy, or glucose tablets can help restore levels.
To manage high blood sugar, also known ashyperglycemia, it’s recommended that a person becomes more active on a regular basis and eats foods that have a low glycemic index.Your healthcare provider may also prescribe medications to manage it.
Exercise and Blood Sugar LevelsExercise is a vital component of managing blood sugar levels. Studies have shown that brief high-intensity workouts can help keep blood sugar in check for one to three days following the exercise session.
Exercise and Blood Sugar Levels
Exercise is a vital component of managing blood sugar levels. Studies have shown that brief high-intensity workouts can help keep blood sugar in check for one to three days following the exercise session.
A Word From Verywell
In the event that you are suffering from the three P’s, you should seek medical attention from your healthcare provider. They will help confirm or rule out diabetes. Other symptoms that aren’t included in the three P’s should also be monitored.
9 SourcesVerywell 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.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.National diabetes statistics report.Kids Health.Hyperglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis.Fathollahi A, Daneshgari F, Hanna-Mitchell AT.Effect of polyuria on bladder function in diabetics versus non-diabetics: an article review.Curr Urol.2015 Sep;8(3):119-125. doi:10.1159/000365702Nigro N, Grossmann M, Chiang C, Inder WJ.Polyuria-polydipsia syndrome: a diagnostic challenge.Intern Med J.2018 Mar;48(3):244-253. doi:10.1111/imj.13627National Organization for Rare Disorders.Central diabetes insipidus.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes tests.Wang WT, Lee P, Yeh HW, Smirnova IV, Choi IY.Effects of acute and chronic hyperglycemia on the neurochemical profiles in the rat brain with streptozotocin-induced diabetes detected using in vivo ¹H MR spectroscopy at 9.4 T.J Neurochem.2012 May;121(3):407-417. doi:10.1111/j.1471-4159.2012.07698.xCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.Manage blood sugar.Adams OP.The impact of brief high-intensity exercise on blood glucose levels.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes.2013;6:113-122. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S29222
9 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.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.National diabetes statistics report.Kids Health.Hyperglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis.Fathollahi A, Daneshgari F, Hanna-Mitchell AT.Effect of polyuria on bladder function in diabetics versus non-diabetics: an article review.Curr Urol.2015 Sep;8(3):119-125. doi:10.1159/000365702Nigro N, Grossmann M, Chiang C, Inder WJ.Polyuria-polydipsia syndrome: a diagnostic challenge.Intern Med J.2018 Mar;48(3):244-253. doi:10.1111/imj.13627National Organization for Rare Disorders.Central diabetes insipidus.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes tests.Wang WT, Lee P, Yeh HW, Smirnova IV, Choi IY.Effects of acute and chronic hyperglycemia on the neurochemical profiles in the rat brain with streptozotocin-induced diabetes detected using in vivo ¹H MR spectroscopy at 9.4 T.J Neurochem.2012 May;121(3):407-417. doi:10.1111/j.1471-4159.2012.07698.xCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.Manage blood sugar.Adams OP.The impact of brief high-intensity exercise on blood glucose levels.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes.2013;6:113-122. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S29222
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.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.National diabetes statistics report.Kids Health.Hyperglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis.Fathollahi A, Daneshgari F, Hanna-Mitchell AT.Effect of polyuria on bladder function in diabetics versus non-diabetics: an article review.Curr Urol.2015 Sep;8(3):119-125. doi:10.1159/000365702Nigro N, Grossmann M, Chiang C, Inder WJ.Polyuria-polydipsia syndrome: a diagnostic challenge.Intern Med J.2018 Mar;48(3):244-253. doi:10.1111/imj.13627National Organization for Rare Disorders.Central diabetes insipidus.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes tests.Wang WT, Lee P, Yeh HW, Smirnova IV, Choi IY.Effects of acute and chronic hyperglycemia on the neurochemical profiles in the rat brain with streptozotocin-induced diabetes detected using in vivo ¹H MR spectroscopy at 9.4 T.J Neurochem.2012 May;121(3):407-417. doi:10.1111/j.1471-4159.2012.07698.xCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.Manage blood sugar.Adams OP.The impact of brief high-intensity exercise on blood glucose levels.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes.2013;6:113-122. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S29222
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.National diabetes statistics report.
Kids Health.Hyperglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis.
Fathollahi A, Daneshgari F, Hanna-Mitchell AT.Effect of polyuria on bladder function in diabetics versus non-diabetics: an article review.Curr Urol.2015 Sep;8(3):119-125. doi:10.1159/000365702
Nigro N, Grossmann M, Chiang C, Inder WJ.Polyuria-polydipsia syndrome: a diagnostic challenge.Intern Med J.2018 Mar;48(3):244-253. doi:10.1111/imj.13627
National Organization for Rare Disorders.Central diabetes insipidus.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes tests.
Wang WT, Lee P, Yeh HW, Smirnova IV, Choi IY.Effects of acute and chronic hyperglycemia on the neurochemical profiles in the rat brain with streptozotocin-induced diabetes detected using in vivo ¹H MR spectroscopy at 9.4 T.J Neurochem.2012 May;121(3):407-417. doi:10.1111/j.1471-4159.2012.07698.x
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Manage blood sugar.
Adams OP.The impact of brief high-intensity exercise on blood glucose levels.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes.2013;6:113-122. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S29222
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