Hunger

A disagreeable feeling caused by the need for food. Hunger occurs when the stomach is empty and the blood glucose level is low, often following strenuous exercise. In response to these stimuli, messages from the hypothalamus cause the muscular stomach wall to contract in a rhythmic manner; these contractions, if they are pronounced, produce hunger pains. Hunger due to a low blood sugar level can also occur in thyrotoxicosis, and in diabetes mellitus when an incorrect balance between insulin and carbohydrate intake causes hypoglycaemia.