Background Thirst is a common and troublesome symptom of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). To date, there are no interventions to help alleviate thirst in this cohort. Chewing gum novel intervention, which has been tested people undergoing haemodialysis, also prescribed fluid restricted therapy. The aim study was determine the effect chewing on level short-term (average 24 hours each d...

This paper provides a primer on happiness economics. The survey intends to indicate the general flavor of this new approach to economics. Moreover, it presents a selection of possible applications of economic-happiness research. The fundamental idea of relative utility is discussed by illustrating it with a particular case, namely the relationship between income and happiness. Happiness researc...

Received 17 September 2012 Accepted 21 September 2012 CHEST CLINIC Case based discussion JP: A 25-year-old gentleman with asthma attended for routine out-patient review. As part of this consultation, his current symptoms and recent inhaler use were discussed, including whether he ever left home without his reliever inhaler. Though his asthma was well controlled, he reported that he always carri...

We can hardly regard as diabetes a glycosuria which so far as we know is only temporary, and not accompanied by excessive thirst or polyuria; but on the other hand, we cannot say, because sugar appears in the urine for the first time whilst the patient is under our observation, that it is only temporary diabetes, for the glycosuria may really have only been temporarily absent. In such a case if...

Impaired regulation of salt and water balance in left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure can lead to pulmonary and peripheral edema and hyponatremia. Previous studies of disordered water regulation in heart failure have used models of low cardiac output with normal cardiac function (e.g., inferior vena cava ligation). We investigated thirst and vasopressin (AVP) secretion in a rat myocar...

We describe a case of diabetes insipidus after head injury in which thirst persisted despite treatment with DDAVP and normal plasma osmolality. Symptoms were only completely relieved when plasma osmolality was below 270 mosmol/kg. We believe that this might have been due to hypothalamic injury causing resetting of the thirst osmostat. To our knowledge, this type of primary polydipsia has not be...

Water deprivation-induced thirst is explained by the double-depletion hypothesis, which predicts that dehydration of the two major body fluid compartments, the extracellular and intracellular compartments, activates signals that combine centrally to induce water intake. However, sodium appetite is also elicited by water deprivation. In this brief review, we stress the importance of the water-de...

Maintenance of body water homeostasis is critical for preventing hyperthermia, because evaporative cooling is the most efficient means of dissipating excess body heat. Water homeostasis is achieved by regulation of water intake and water loss by the kidneys. The former is achieved by sensations of thirst that motivate water acquisition, whereas the latter is regulated by the antidiuretic action...

Hypernatraemia is a relatively frequent electrolyte abnormality in hospitalized patients, with reported incidences ranging from 0.65 to 2.23% [1]. Normally, when the serum sodium rises, thirst develops and antidiuretic hormone (ADH) is secreted. Hypernatraemia will not occur in individuals with an intact thirst mechanism and free access to water, due to a potent osmolar stimulus to drink. Hypot...

People’s immediate needs influence how they perceive other’s needs – people project their needs onto others. Two studies sought to replicate and extend previous research by identifying moderators of need projection: need satisfaction and a global sense of similarity. Projection increased when a strong need to quench one’s thirst was induced and not satisfied (Study 1). Projection of the need to...