Excessive hunger or increased appetite, often associated with metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, or certain medications. It represents one of the classic symptoms of uncontrolled diabetes along with polyuria and polydipsia.
From Greek 'poly' meaning 'many' or 'much' and 'phagein' meaning 'to eat.' The term literally describes the condition of eating much or having excessive appetite.
Polyphagia in diabetes is cruelly ironic - patients eat constantly because their cells are literally starving despite high blood sugar levels! Without insulin, glucose can't enter cells for energy, so the body sends hunger signals even though there's plenty of sugar in the bloodstream, like having a full gas tank but no way to get fuel to the engine.
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