Physiology of thirst and drinking: implication for nursing practice.

Thirst and drinking function to maintain body water balance and are basic to survival. Thirst is often associated with a dry unpleasant-tasting mouth and the feeling of a need to obtain water; it can result from dehydration, decreased vascular volume, dry mouth, pharmacologic agents, or inappropriate activation of the thirst mechanism. Drinking involves the motor activities that culminate in ingestion of liquids. Thirst sensation and drinking are influenced by many factors, including the temperature and taste of a liquid. Thirst may be discomforting in persons with limited fluid intake, diminished in some elderly persons, and inappropriate in persons who are compulsive water drinkers. Although nurses are commonly confronted with client complaints of thirst, there has been minimal nursing research that relates to assessment of thirst and drinking behaviors, nursing diagnoses for thirst, or nursing interventions for persons with altered thirst or drinking behaviors.