Diabetes Insipidus Introduction

							Diabetes Insipidus Introduction


Diabetes Insipidus is a rare disease which results from disruption of the system of the body
that regulates water re-absorption in kidneys. This defect in the water regulation system of
the body leads to most common symptoms of Diabetes Insipidus. A very good resource to
get detailed information about Diabetes Insipidus is Diabetes Insipidus website.
www.diabetes-insipidus.info is full of information about causes, symptoms,
treatment options and prognosis of this disease.


Most Common Symptoms of Diabetes Insipidus
Some of the most presented symptoms of are:


     Severe thirst that does not get satisfied
     Frequent urination
     Large amounts of urine passing which may sometimes be around 20 liters per day
  
What Are the Causes of Diabetes Insipidus


The primary cause of diabetes insipidus is related to ADH ( Anti diuretic Hormone) which is
also known as Vasopressin. ADH is critical in regulating the amount of liquid in human
body. Hypothalamus, a part of the brain, produces ADH which is then stored in pituitary
gland which releases it into blood stream in case of need. When the amount of water in the
body decreases, Pituitary glands release ADH hormone to instruct kidneys to decrease
outflow of water in the form of urine. In a patient suffering from Diabetes Insipidus, ADH is
not produced in sufficient quantity and kidneys pass on large amounts of water in the form
of urine.


Main Types of Diabetes Insipidus
There are mainly two types :


Cranial diabetes insipidus

Cranial Diabetes Insipidus, also known as Central Diabetes Insipidus is caused by less
production of ADH in the body leading to excessive production of urine. This type is the
most common and can result from damage to Pituitary Gland or hypothalamus resulting
from any of the following reasons:
     Head Injury
     Infection
     Operation or surgery
     Brain Tumor
However, in one out of every three cases of Cranial Diabetes Insipidus, the cause of the
disease is unknown.


Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus
In case of Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus, the body produces enough amount of ADH,
however, kidneys fail to respond to ADH due to problems with the kidneys or damage to
the kidneys. Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus can also result as side effects of some
medications like lithium ( which has been used extensively in mental health diseases ). In
some very rare cases, Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus is attributed to hereditary genes.


Treatments for Diabetes Insipidus
No specific medical treatment is required in cases of mild forms of Cranaial Diabetes
Insipidus and the patient may continue to live normal life by drinking more water to
compensate for the loss of water in urine. In severe cases of Cranial or Central Diabetes
Insipidus, a drug named Desmopressin is prescribed by the physicians to compensate the
shortage of ADH.


The treatment of Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus is done by using drugs named thiazide
diuretic which reduce the amount of urine being produced by the kidneys.


If you want to know more about Diabetes Insipidus then visit this very good resrouce for
diabetes insipidus related information. All medicines should be used only on the prescription
of your physician to avoid complications.