Introduction: Diabetes insipidus is a disorder that causes an imbalance of fluids in the body. How does it cause imbalance or leads one to produce large amounts of urine and how does it make one very thirsty or to be continuously taking water ? Is good if every point here is noted.
First and foremost , Before I go into details what is ADH?
ADH also called vasopressin, controls the amount of water the kidneys release in the urine. ADH is stored in the pituitary gland and is located behind the bridge of the nose.ADH is made in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus and stored in the pituitary gland.
People suffering from these diabetes have high amounts of urine that is diluted (clear) because of this inability to control the amount of water in the urine.
Having said that what is then diabetes insipidus ?
Diabetes insipidus is a situation in which there is a problem with the secretion of antidiuretic hormone.
It is very is important for us to know the difference between diabetes insipidus and other conditions that are associated in urination, like diabetes mellitus (high blood sugar) and urinary tract infections etc.
People can urinate 1 or 2 liters of urine a day, but a person with diabetes insipidus might urinate three or more. Patients often wake up in the middle of the night to urinate. This is because they are losing a lot of water in the urine ( they are at risk for dehydration).
Patients who have diabetes insipidus have increased thirst and tend to drink gallon of water. If the patient has no access to drinking water, he or she cannot make up for the loss of water, and the chemicals in the body get “concentrated.”
There is also increased levels of sodium in the blood called hypernatremia which causes confusion and other changes in mental status.
Other symptoms associated with diabetes insipidus for infants or young children are: Vomiting,fever, trouble sleeping,bed-wetting, constipation etc.
Type 1 diabetes
A patient with type 1 diabetes does not make insulin at all. His immune system attacks and destroys the cells in his pancreas that make insulin. Type 1 diabetes is diagnosed in children and young adults, albeit it can appear at any age. People with type 1 diabetes are advised to take insulin every day to stay alive.
Type 2 diabetes
In type 2 diabetes,the body doesn't also make or use insulin well. You can develop type 2 diabetes at any age, even during childhood.
But this type of diabetes occurs most often in middle-aged and older people. Type 2 is the most common type of diabetes.
Gestational diabetes : Occurs in some women when they are pregnant. Most of the time, this type of diabetes goes away after the baby is born. Diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy is actually type 2 diabetes.
The following causes depend on the type of diabetes insipidus one has ,they are :
Diabetes caused by :
Dipsogenic diabetes insipidus: This is also called primary polydipsia. This condition can cause production of large amounts of diluted urine from drinking excessive amounts of fluids.. The condition is linked to mental illness, such as schizophrenia , amnesia etc
Center diabetes insipidus : It can be caused by some many ways . It is as a result of inherited disease or a damage to the pituitary gland or hypothalamus from surgery, a tumor, head injury or illness can cause central diabetes insipidus by affecting the usual production, storage and release of ADH.
Diabetes insipidus cannot be cured, but it can be managed with medications.
A medication that works like ADH called Desmopressin is often used to treat central diabetes insipidus. Desmopressin can be given in form of injection (shot), in a pill, or in a nasal spray. Sometimes used to treat gestational diabetes insipidus.
Treatment for nephrogenic Anti-inflammatory drugs, water pills, and pain medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen can also help. It might take a while to find the right combination for a patient.
Treatments for dipsogenic diabetes insipidus : Some of the same treatments used for other types of diabetes insipidus might are applicable here .
Thank you very much for your understanding. If you have any question please don't hesitate to let me know.
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