Excessive thirst due to tumor
Jonathan Plummer, 41, from Falmouth in Cornwall, England, started to battle a “constant” thirst that he couldn't quench. When he consulted doctors, they put this symptom down to diabetes at first, reported Express UK. However, his diabetes test results came back negative. While excessive thirst is a common symptom of diabetes, this wasn't the case for Plummer.
It was only after a routine eye test that he was diagnosed with a brain tumor later. The thirst was triggered by a brain tumor located in his pituitary gland.
Where your thirst signal comes from
Pituitary gland is the pea-sized part of the brain that helps to regulate the sense of thirst. It tells you to drink when it detects the body is getting dehydrated.
Due to the tumour, Jonathan’s system went haywire and was prompting him to drink about 10 litres of water each day.
‘It was an awful time’
“I felt a constant thirst that I couldn't quench and got to the point where I was passing as much water as I was drinking," Plummer shared.
“It was an awful time which caused me to miss days of work at a time and I experienced extreme fatigue,” he added.
How the diagnosis happened
After diagnosis at a routine eye scan, Plummer was referred to Derriford Hospital for an MRI scan. The scan revealed that he had a germ cell tumour. These types of tumours develop in the body's germ cells, which are usually located in the ovaries or testicles. However, they can sometimes be found in other parts of the body, such as the brain, as happened in Plummer's case.
Treatment and side effects
After the diagnosis, Jonathan had to undergo 30 rounds of radiotherapy and steroid therapy as part of his treatment, Express UK reported.
The side effects of the treatment caused him to pile on weight, going from 12st (76 kg) to 18st (114 kg).
Jonathan is now tumor free
The good news is that Plummer is now tumour-free. The treatment, though, has left him unable to play rugby and cricket, sports he enjoyed playing before.
Jonathan has now taken up running and swimming to regain control of his weight. The case study acts as a reminder to pay attention to any weird symptoms and immediately consult your doctors for treatment. Early diagnosis is essential for better treatment outcomes.
Read more: Diabetes: Poor lunch habits that are likely to cause frequent spikes in blood sugar level