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DESCRIPTION:
Also known as "water diabetes,” diabetes insipidus (DI) is often mistaken for diabetes mellitus, or “sugar diabetes.” Not widely diagnosed, it is a rare disease caused by a deficiency of antidiuretic hormone (ADH), also called vasopressin, which helps the body retain the water it needs. As a result of the deficiency, the kidneys produce abnormally large volumes of dilute urine, which can lead to dehydration and associated problems.
How does diabetes insipidus develop?
The amount of water conserved by the kidney is controlled by ADH, or vasopressin. This hormone is produced in a region of the brain called the hypothalamus, and stored in and released from the pituitary gland, a small gland at the base of the brain. There are two types of diabetes insipidus. Central diabetes insipidus is caused by a lack of ADH. When the condition is caused by a failure of the kidneys to respond to ADH, the condition is called nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.
Central diabetes insipidus is caused by damage to the hypothalamus or pituitary gland as a result of surgery, infection, tumor or a head injury. Although rare, central DI is, in fact, more common than nephrogenic DI. Nephrogenic DI, on the other hand, involves a defect in the parts of the kidneys that reabsorb water back into the bloodstream. It may occur as an inherited disorder in which male children inherit the abnormal gene that causes the disease from their mothers. Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus may also be caused by diseases of the kidney, such as polycystic kidney disease, as well as by the effects of certain drugs, such as lithium, amphotericin B and demeclocycline.
What are the symptoms of diabetes insipidus?
People with diabetes insipidus need to urinate frequently, and often need to get up two or three times during the night to do so. Not only is the frequency of urination increased, but the volume as well. Individuals with this condition are constantly thirsty, and typically drink fluids at least every hour. Cravings for ice water may be intense or uncontrollable. If thirst mechanisms are normal and adequate fluids are consumed, body fluids and salt balance are not significantly affected. However, if inadequate amounts of fluids are consumed, the large amount of water lost in the urine may result in dehydration, as well as high sodium levels in the blood, joint pain, vertebral disc dehydration, cartilage problems, dizziness and fatigue.
Conventional medical treatments may help relieve the symptoms of diabetes insipidus but they do not address the root of the problem. By addressing imbalances in the body, as natural medicine therapies do, diabetes insipidus can be alleviated permanently.
Discover why we believe that natural medicine treatments are the best way to treat diabetes insipidus.
Learn about the treatments for
Diabetes Insipidus
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