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Diabetes Insipidus
Medical Questions » Diabetes Insipidus
| Name: Diabetes Insipidus |
| Also known as: |
| Form of failure of the pituitary gland which lies in the center of the brain. Diabetes insipidus has nothing to do with the common sugar diabetes (diabetes mellitus). Diabetes means frequent and excessive passing of urine, and it is this symptom that the victims of both diseases share. |
Causes of Diabetes Insipidus
An uncommon disease that may be triggered by a head injury, or develop slowly over many months because of a brain infection, tumor or stroke. It is caused by a failure of the pituitary gland to produce the hormone vasopressin that controls the rate at which the kidney produces urine. Without this hormone, the kidney constantly produces large amounts of dilute urine. |
Symptoms of Diabetes Insipidus
Patients have a huge urine output, are constantly thirsty, lose weight, develop headaches and muscle pains, become easily dehydrated, and may have an irregular heart beat. |
Tests for Diabetes Insipidus
Diagnosed by a series of ingenious blood and urine tests after exposing the patient to varying degrees of water intake. |
Treatment for Diabetes Insipidus
Controlled by regular injections of vasopressin which last from one to three days. Milder cases can be treated with a nasal spray containing a synthetic form of vasopressin, but this only lasts for a few hours.
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Complications of Diabetes Insipidus of its treatment
A rare variation of diabetes insipidus occurs when the kidney fails to respond to vasopressin, even when it is being produced normally by the pituitary gland. |
Likely Outcome of Diabetes Insipidus
Cannot be cured, but usually well controlled. Some cases do settle spontaneously, but most patients require life long treatment. |
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