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Diabetes Insipidus Condition & Symptoms

Also known as water diabetes, diabetes insipidus is a rare condition that affects one in 25,000 people. It is a disease that upsets the balance of water within the body. Due to the fact that water balance is very important to many functions of the body, diabetes insipidus is a condition that can drastically alter the well-being of the person who as it.

  1. Condition

    • Diabetes insipidus is a condition that causes a person to develop extreme thirst and to excrete urine in great volume. It occurs when there is interference to the production of the hormone vasopressin. When this hormone is inhibited, it causes the kidneys to be unable to retain water, producing large amounts of urine. As more urine is expelled from the body, a person's need for water increases in order to maintain the water balance of the body, leading to elevated thirst levels. Diabetes insipidus should not be confused with diabetes mellitus, which is the more common form of diabetes and is also known as sugar diabetes. The two conditions are completely different.

    Symptoms

    • The key symptoms of diabetes insipidus are an increase in urine output and thirst. Depending on the severity of the condition, urine output can range anywhere from 2.5 liters a day to 15 liters a day. Due to the fact that urine output is elevated, urine is usually pale and appears watery and diluted. Other symptoms include the need to get up more often in the night to urinate and bed wetting. In young children, symptoms may also include inconsolable crying, an increase in the number of wet diapers, fever, vomiting and diarrhea, weight loss, dry skin, cold fingers and toes and delayed growth.

    Condition Types

    • Diabetes insipidus is a condition with three subcategories. To determine which type of diabetes insipidus a person may have, a physician will look at how the condition is interfering with the systems of their body. Central diabetes insipidus is when damage to the pituitary gland or hypothalamus causes the condition. This damage is usually due to surgery, a tumor, injury or illness. Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is caused when the tubules of the kidneys are unable to function properly. Often times this condition is genetic, although it can be caused by drugs such as lithium and tetracycline. Finally gestational diabetes insipidus is a result of pregnancy. The placenta of the pregnant woman makes an enzyme that interferes with her body's ability to regulate its water balance.

    Testing

    • Diabetes insipidus is a condition that requires a number of tests to be diagnosed. The most common of these tests is a water deprivation test. The patient will stop drinking any liquids a few hours before the test. During the test, a physician will measure changes in body weight and urine output and will analyze urine concentration. Another test that may be utilized is a urinalysis. During a urinalysis, urine is examined for its physical and chemical makeup. An MRI is another test that is utilized in diagnosing diabetes insipidus. An MRI of the brain will show a physician whether or not damage has occurred to the pituitary gland or hypothalamus, a trigger for diabetes insipidus.

    Treatment

    • Since diabetes insipidus comes in many forms, treatment is determined based on the type of the condition the patient has. Central diabetes insipidus requires a patient to take desmopressin, which is a manmade hormone that counteracts the diuretic affect of diabetes insipidus, thus slowing urine output. If central diabetes insipidus is due to a damages pituitary gland or hypothalamus, the physician will correct this problem through surgery or therapy. In those with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, a physician may prescribe a diet that is low in sodium, which decreases the amount of urine the body produces. For pregnant women with gestational diabetes insipidus, a physician will usually prescribe desmopressin.

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