Posted on July 3, 2009 in Latest News
Diabetes insipidus is a disease in which a person experiences excessive urination and severe thirst. In diabetes insipidus, a person is always at a risk of extreme dehydration. Even life may be at risk if the person does not have access to water for a short period of time.
‘Diabetes insipidus’ is different from ‘diabetes mellitus’. Diabetes insipidus is ‘diabetes of water’, where as diabetes mellitus is ‘diabetes of sugar’.
What are the signs of diabetes insipidus?
- Severe thirst, especially for cool or ice water
- Frequent urination
- Colorless urine (non-yellow and watery)
- Dehydration
- Bedwetting
Causes of diabetes insipidus
There are four different causes of diabetes insipidus. Hence, diabetes insipidus is classified into four types.
Neurogenic diabetes insipidus: It is caused by the brain’s inability to produce a hormone called vasopressin.
Vasopressin regulates the concentration and quantity of urine produced. It acts on the kidneys. Lack of vasopressin leads to loss of body fluids in the form of urine.
Neurogenic diabetes insipidus is caused by damage to the vasopressin producing part of the brain due to tumors, head injuries, infections and various hereditary diseases. But sometimes, it can happen without any apparent cause.
Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus: It is caused due to the inability of the kidneys to respond to vasopressin. This may happen due to any kidney related disease or due to an inherited disease.
Dipsogenic diabetes insipidus: It occurs when the thirst mechanism of the body fails. Thirst is regulated by hormones produced by hypothalamus. When the hypothalamus fails to produce these hormones, the person feels perennially thirsty. He drinks a lot of water, resulting in overload.
Gestational diabetes insipidus: It occurs to a baby during pregnancy. Usually, the baby requires treatment for 4-6 weeks after being born.
Treatment of diabetes insipidus
Diabetes insipidus is treated according to the cause. Neurogenic and gestational diabetes insipidus are treated by desmopressin, which is the synthetic form of vasopressin. Nephrogenic and dispogenic diabetes insipidus cannot be treated completely, but the symptoms can be reduced substantially through medication.
One thing that a diabetes insipidus patient should remember is to always carry water with them.
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