What is diabetes insipidus?
Diabetes insipidus is a disorder characterized by a defect in the kidney tubules, which causes a person to eliminate a large amount of urine and lose too much water. There are several types of diabetes insipidus:
- Central: it is due to damage at the brain level that hinders the production of vasopressin, the anti-diuretic hormone.
- Nephrogenic: it is a renal alteration that also impedes the action of vasopressin.
- Dipsogenic: this is due to damage to the thirst-producing system, which is located at the level of the hypothalamus, causing an abnormal increase in thirst and, therefore, an increase in water intake, a suppression of vasopressin secretion and an increase in renal excretion of water.
- Gestational: occurs when there is a lack of vasopressin only during pregnancy.
What are the symptoms of diabetes insipidus?
The main symptoms are:
- Excessive thirst
- Excessive urine volume
- Too frequent urination
What are the causes of diabetes insipidus?
The cause of central diabetes insipidus is damage to the pituitary gland or hypothalamus, which may be due to:
- Head trauma
- Genetic problems
- Loss of blood supply to the pituitary gland
- Infection
- Tumors in or near the pituitary gland
- Surgery
On the other hand, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus may be due to:
- Genetic problems
- Certain drugs
- Nephropathies (such as polycystic kidney disease)
- Hypercalcemia
Can diabetes insipidus be prevented?
It cannot be prevented, since the onset of its causes is unpredictable.
What is the treatment of diabetes insipidus?
Central diabetes insipidus can be controlled with vasopressin, which can be taken by nasal spray, injection or tablets. As for nephrogenic, if the cause is some medicine, stopping the medicine can help to recover the correct kidney function; if the cause is hereditary, one should drink enough fluid to balance the diuresis and also take some medicines to balance the diuresis.