Picture a desert. It's hot, the sun is beating down with excessive heat. You're unsure if it's an oasis or a mirage in the distance. You're panting so heavy. Your tongue feels like it's too big for your mouth. You feel as if you haven't had a drink of water in months. You're craving just a sip of water. Do you equate a desert to the inside of your mouth-an unquenchable desire to drink anything and everything in sight?

Well, excess thirst is just one symptom of diabetes mellitus. Before you jump to conclusions and misdiagnose your symptoms, you need to know what to look for. Here's a checklist of the causes of excess thirst. See if any of them describe your insatiable thirst.

-Hormone imbalances. These include high levels of the thyroid hormone.
-Certain drugs or medications. These include antihistamines, caffeine, or alcohol.
-Psychogenic Polydipsia. This is a psychiatric condition causing a person to feel thirsty for no reason at all.
-Increased exercise. This increases the body's water requirements.
-Damage to the hypothalamus, an area of the brain.
-Diabetes insipidus. It is a disease that causes excessive urination that results in dehydration.

All right, you've looked the checklist over and none of the sources described your thirst. Now, you're almost convinced your excess thirst might be a symptom of diabetes. Remember: You need to know what to look for before you misdiagnose yourself with diabetes. There are two sure-fire ways you can find out if you're diabetic or not:

-A blood glucose test is a great way to detect diabetes.
-Schedule a doctor appointment for a proper diagnosis.

So, you've made that dreaded, but important, doctor appointment. Now what? Well, your doctor needs to know several things in order to diagnose you properly. Be prepared to know the answers to the following questions your doctor will ask. It would be helpful if you would jot down some of these answers or some of your concerns before the appointment. It seems it's so easy to forget important things when we go to the doctor's office. Write down a list of the medications you currently take. This is very important information. Don't be afraid to ask your doctor about other symptoms you might be experiencing, too.

-When the problem began.
-What types of liquids you drink.
-What other medical conditions you might have.
-What medications or drugs you may be taking.
-How much you drink each day.
-How often you exercise.
-Whether you feel dehydrated or have a dry mouth.
-Whether your thirst is constant or occurs only at specific times.
-Whether you have increased or decreased the amount of fluids you drink each day.
-Whether your weight has changed drastically.
-Whether you are having any other questionable symptoms.