The word diabetes is often associated with glucose level, but there is a type of diabetes that is totally unrelated to glucose levels and sugar. It is diabetes insipidus, and it’s a condition in which an unusual increase in urination occurs, regardless of liquid intake and thirst. Its symptoms are increased frequency and output in urination, bed-wetting, and nocturnal, which is waking up frequently at night to urinate. There is an increase in the amount of urine and frequency of urination because the kidneys fail to make the urine concentrated. Thus, what comes out is highly diluted and pale.
The reason for diabetes insipidus being a type of diabetes, even if it’s very much unrelated to the other types, is because they share the same symptoms of frequent urination and excessive thirst. Other than that similarity, their causes and ways of treatment are completely different.
There are four types of diabetes insipidus, namely:
• Pituitary DI (diabetes insipidus)
This type is caused by the lack of vasopressin, which is the hormone that signals the kidneys to make urine concentrated. This is caused by damage to the back part of the pituitary gland where production of vasopressin usually occurs.
• Gestagenic or Gestational DI
Just like what hormones present during pregnancy do to insulin, there are cases when vasopressin is overwhelmed too quickly. It can be treated, and just like gestational diabetes, it goes away several weeks after delivery.
• Nephrogenic DI
This results from kidney diseases or from various medications. It may only be treated by curing the kidney disease or eliminating the drug responsible.
• Primary polydipsia
This occurs when there is a defect in the brain that controls thirst. Excessive thirst results to too much fluid intake and this can result to suppression of vasopressin.
Diabetes insipidus is not a health risk and does not cause other complications. However, liquid intake must be sustained so as not to cause dehydration and other complications that lack of water in the body brings.