Diabetes

Physiological explanation of diabetes insipidus is not hard to explain or understand. Diabetes insipidus is very rare form of diabetes but does occur occasionally.

Diabetes insipidus is caused when the kidneys have no ability to save water, which in turn leads to frequent and large urinations and extreme thirst. It is a condition that is not common and occurs when the kidneys are performing their normal duties of filtrating blood. The retaining of water in the kidneys is controlled by an antidiuretic hormone (ADH) commonly called vasopressin. This hormone is produced in the part of the brain called the hypothalamus and controlled by the pituitary gland which is a very small gland located at the base of the brain.

The production of ADH is regulated by the osmolality of blood circulation. Osmolality means the concentration of chemicals in the blood such as potassium, sodium and chloride. This is the fluid base for the blood and is also referred to as plasma. When this fluid base becomes very little, the pituitary gland will stimulate ADH production telling the kidneys to retain more water and to decrease the amount of urine production. This causes the concentration of chemicals and water to normalize. When the fluid content of the blood becomes too high, ADH production decreases causing the kidneys to pass increased amounts of fluid out of the body in urination. This will cause the osmolality of the plasma to normalize.

Diabetes insipidus can be caused by damage related to the pituitary gland and/or the hypothalamus because of infection, surgery, tumor, or head injury. This is called central diabetes insipidus because the area that controls the retaining of water is where the problem lies. Central diabetes insipidus is the most common type of diabetes insipidus. In treating central diabetes insipidus, the underlying cause must be treated. Symptoms of central diabetes insipidus are usually controlled with vasopressin either as a nasal spray or oral tablets.

When diabetes insipidus is caused by the inability of kidneys to react to antidiuretic hormone or ADH, it is known as nephrogenic diabetes insipidus and is caused by a problem based usually with the kidneys. This commonly occurs because of a problem caused by something else such as blockage in the urinary tract, use of certain medications, or by high levels of calcium, or low levels of potassium. Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is an extremely rare form of diabetes. When the cause of this form of diabetes insipidus is identified and corrected, the disease usually clears up. Medications used as treatment for nephrogenic diabetes insipidus include anti-inflammatory medications such as indomethacin and diuretics such as amiloride and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ).

Complications of diabetes insipidus can be caused by dehydration which causes dry skin, fever, weight loss and rapid heart beat as well as electrolyte imbalance which causes fatigue, irritability, headaches and muscle pains. If you develop any of the symptoms or complications that are related to diabetes insipidus, you should meet with your primary care physician as quickly as possible.

There is currently no way to prevent diabetes insipidus but the prognosis when diagnosed and treated early is good but the underlying reason for this problem has to be identified and corrected.

Physiological explanation of diabetes insipidus is not hard to explain. Diabetes insipidus is very rare but does occur occasionally.

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