Diabetes Insipidus Prevention

Diabetes Insipidus Can Cause Frequent Urination

Diabetes insipidus (DI), which is commonly referred to as "water diabetes", is not related to diabetes I and II. It also does not cause high blood glucose levels. However, DI is a very serious condition and can be life threatening if not diagnosed and treated. The disease causes patients to suffer extreme thirst and to have to urinate frequently. Becoming knowledgeable about the causes can help you understand some ways to prevent the disorder.

Causes

The website for The Diabetes Insipidus Organization reports that this disorder can have four different types of causes. The first type is called neurogenic and can be brought on by a head injury or brain surgery and is caused by a lack of vasopressin. The second type is the nephrogenic and is caused when the kidneys become insensitive to vasopressin. The third type is the gestagenic and occurs during pregnancy when there is a deficiency of vasopressin. The fourth type is the dispogenic and is caused by abnormal thirst and an excessive intake of water.
The first three types of DI involve a lack or deficiency of the hormone vasopressin, which is an anti-diuretic. The final type of DI (dispogenic) is the only type that does not involve a lack of the anti-diuretic vasopressin.

Prevention

Prevention of DI may not always be possible. Many times the condition that causes DI will be present at birth (congenital). The website for The U.S. National Library of Medicine reports that there is no known treatment for the congenital form of this disorder. In other cases, if the disorder is caused or brought on by another disease then treating that particular disease can prevent this disorder from developing.

Concerns

If you are diagnosed with Diabetes Insipidus (DI) you should take it very seriously and follow your physician's recommendations for treatment. Diabetes Insipidus can cause severe dehydration, high sodium levels in the blood and shock, which can all lead to death. In cases that involve nephrogenic DI, the patient must receive lifelong treatment. In the other types of DI, treatment is easily given, and there are usually no long-term problems.

References

• Diabetes Insipidus Organization; What is Diabetes Insipidus?; 2009;
• The U.S. National Library of Medicine; Diabetes Insipidus; 2009;