The bottom line. A drop in blood sugar can be one of many reasons why you're feeling hungry shortly after a meal. Making adjustments to your diet and lifestyle — such as how much, how fast, and what you eat — can help to keep your hunger more balanced.
Constant hunger could be a sign of health conditions including diabetes, hyperthyroidism, depression and pregnancy. It's important to rule out medical conditions while addressing those hunger pangs.
What are 2 signs of extreme hunger? Extreme hunger can make you feel shaky and irritable. You may also experience feeling sweaty, clammy, and have a rapid heart rate.
In uncontrolled diabetes where blood glucose levels remain abnormally high ( hyperglycemia ), glucose from the blood cannot enter the cells – due to either a lack of insulin or insulin resistance – so the body can't convert the food you eat into energy. This lack of energy causes an increase in hunger.
A water deprivation test involves not drinking any liquid for several hours to see how your body responds. If you have diabetes insipidus, you'll continue to pee large amounts of watery (dilute), light-colored urine when normally you'd only pee a small amount of concentrated, dark yellow urine.
Hyperthyroidism, a condition characterized by an overactive thyroid, is also associated with increased hunger. This is because it causes excess production of thyroid hormones, which are known to promote appetite ( 76 , 77 ). Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar levels, may also increase your hunger levels.
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With diabetic hyperphagia, a person feels constantly hungry whether or not they eat or how much they eat. Diabetic hyperphagia does not have to have a mental or emotional component; it can simply be the physical sensation of hunger.
If you're still feeling hungry, your best bet is a low-carbohydrate, low-calorie snack, preferably one that's high in protein or fiber, such as Greek yogurt or a small handful of nuts. Other options include: A sugar-free frozen pop. One light cheese stick.
Frequent hunger
In people with diabetes, not enough of this glucose moves from the bloodstream into the body's cells. As a result, people with type 2 diabetes often feel constantly hungry, regardless of how recently they have eaten.