Diabetes Insipidus

What is Diabetes Insipidus?

Unlike other types of diabetes such as Diabetes Mellitus Diabetes Insipidus is a disease that is linked to the pituitary gland in the brain. When the word diabetes is mentioned most people will assume that we are speaking of Diabetes Mellitus (Sugar Diabetes). Diabetes Insipidus though is not caused by a lack of insulin or the lack of insulin regulation. Diabetes Insipidus happens when the pituitary gland does not make enough of the hormone ADH. Antidiuretic Hormone is needed to control the amount of water in the body. Diabetes Insipidus can be a serious or even fatal disease if not caught and treated. The treatment may be ongoing for the rest of your life.

What causes Diabetes Insipidus?

Like all forms of diabetes no one knows exactly what causes the actual disease however they do know that people that have had other problems are prime candidates to develop Diabetes Insipidus.

If you have or have had any of the following you may develop Diabetes Insipidus:

* A brain aneurysm which is a weak spot in a blood vessel causing the artery to balloon out much like a weak spot on a tire causes a "bulge"

* Any type of brain infection

* A Tumor of the brain

* A Tumor of the Pituitary Gland

* Compulsive, excessive fluid intake

* Bleeding inside the skull

* Family history of Diabetes Insipidus

* Head Injury that may cause damage to the Pituitary Gland

* Kidney Disease

* Surgery on the Pituitary Gland sometimes causes a temporary type that lasts about 14 days

If you have the following signs or symptoms, you should ask your physician to do further testing for possible Diabetes Insipidus:

* Dry skin, especially the hands.

* Constipation

* Passing large amounts of extremely clear urine

* Terrible thirst especially for cold or iced fluids

What is the treatment?

The treatment depends more on what appears to be causing the problem. This is one place where the allopathic medical community agrees with the naturopathic medical community. Remove the cause and you treat the disease. This is the underlying theme to most naturopathic treatments, where as the allopathic community is more a symptom treatment practice.

Depending on what may be causing the problem a person may be subjected to any or all of the following tests and or treatments:

- Complete medical history and exam 

- Basic Blood and Urine tests 

- Computerized Tomography scan (CT Scan) 

- Daily weights to determine fluid loss or gain 

- Dehydration test 

- Intake and output measurements (I and O) 

- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) 

- Surgery. If a tumor is involved you may need brain surgery to remove it.

What Leads to Diabetes Insipidus

What causes diabetes insipidus (or DI) will depend on which variety of this disorder you have.

Diabetes insipidus is definitely an uncommon health problem which arises when a person's kidneys simply cannot maintain water whenever they perform their function of filtering an individual's blood. The quantity of water typically is controlled by ADH, which is actually an antidiuretic hormone called vasopressin.

The goal of vasopressin is to always manage the level of water that is in the body by controlling the amount of urine your kidneys make. If ever the level of water inside your system is low, your pituitary gland produces vasopressin in an effort to use less water and reduce the production of urine.

However, for those who have DI, typically vasopressin is unable to properly control the body's water levels, which lets way too much urine to get produced and passed out from the body. In cases where a deficiency of vasopressin is the reason, it is called central diabetes insipidus.

Conditions Leading to Central Diabetes Insipidus

The most widespread causes are actually: 

• 
  
• Difficulties resulting from surgical procedures on the brain
• Substantial head trauma that may damage the pituitary gland or perhaps your hypothalamus
• A tumor in your brain that can cause harm to your pituitary gland or possibly your hypothalamus

In close to thirty-three percent of cases, no straightforward explanation can be figured out as being the source for this disorder. This appears as though it is related to your body's own defense mechanism wiping out good brain cells in error. What provokes the immune system in destroying those cells is a mystery.

Examples of the more uncommon variables which bring about central diabetes insipidus consists of: 

• Brain damage created by not enough oxygen, which sometimes could materialize while having a stroke
• Cancers that move to your brain from some other region within your body, such as your lungs or possibly the bone marrow
• Infections, for example like meningitis as well as encephalitis

Yet another variety goes by the name of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. In this type ADH is created in the appropriate quantities. Nevertheless, a person's kidneys aren't able to interact with the ADH effectively ultimately causing problems such as abnormal thirst in addition to greater urine creation.

Conditions Leading to Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus

This problem permanently impacts the kidneys' capability to condense the urine. Whenever family genes are among the contributing factors it is referred to as nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Generally it impacts males, though females could pass the specific gene down to her children.

Additionally, you can get it from several medications or even health problems.

The most widespread cause is the medication lithium. This kind of medicinal drug is typically used to deal with bipolar disorder. Lengthy utilization of lithium damages kidney cells which make them not able to respond to ADH.

Approximately fifty percent of folks on lengthy lithium treatment will probably come down with this disorder. Stopping lithium treatments could very well improve normal kidney ability, though in a lot of situations kidney impairment can be irreparable.

Other circumstances that may lead to acquired nephrogenic diabetes insipidus may include: 

• Kidney disorders
• Hypercalcaemia, because of large amounts of calcium inside of your blood. A large amount of calcium may harm the kidneys
• Ureteral blockage, kidney problems caused by obstruction inside of the tubes linking the kidneys and the bladder

Treatment Methods

Therapy will depend upon what type you may have. Because central disbetes insipidus is caused by a scarcity of (ADH), therapy is usually taking desmopressin, a synthetic antidiuretic hormone.

With regards to nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, your personal doctor might possibly advise a low-salt diet routine in an effort to lessen the quantity of urine your kidneys generate. It's also advisable to drink an adequate amount of fluids to protect yourself from dehydration.

What Are The Causes Of Diabetic Insipidus And Effective Treatment For The Disease

Diabetes insipidus (DI) is a rare condition that occurs when the kidneys are unable to conserve water as they perform their function of filtering blood. It is often confused with diabetes mellitus because a symptom that both diseases have in common is frequent and excessive urination.

The word diabetes comes from the Greek word for siphon. A physician in ancient Greece coined the disease diabetes because sufferers passed water like a siphon.

The addition of insipidus and mellitus is to differentiate the concentration of the water passed by the person. Insipidus comes from the latin for no flavor. Urine passed by someone suffering from DI is highly diluted. Mellitus is also derived from the latin for honey and consequently diabetes mellitus (DM) is noted for passing urine that is sweet and concentrated.

There are four types of DI. These are :

Neurogenic diabetes insipidus - also called central diabetes insipidus.

This is caused when the anti-diuretic hormone or vasopressin produced by the hypothalamus and stored in the pituitary gland is not produced in sufficient quantity. Vasopressin causes the kidneys to preserve water but excrete the same amount of waste products.

Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) also known as vasopressin resistance because the kidneys are unaffected by the secretion of vasopressin.

NDI is believed to by genetically passed on or caused by kidney diseases or as a side-effect of using drugs like lithium for other illnesses.

The third type is called gestagenic and occurs during pregnancy.

The fourth type is known as dipsogenic DI and is characterized by excessive fluid consumption. The excess fluids cause vasopressin to be suppressed.

The primary symptoms of diabetes insipidus are excessive urination (polyuria) and excessive thirst (polydipsia). Symptoms for diabetes insipidus will be markedly abrupt. The sufferer will want to drink vast quantities of water. They will have difficulty sleeping as they will want to go to the toilet all the time. In the case of children there will be frequent bed wetting.

Diabetes insipidus testing involves a fluid deprivation test. As the name suggests the patient avoids drinking any fluids for a prescribed time period. The urine is then analyzed to determine it's concentration and composition.

Diabetes insipidus treatment involves having a good and plentiful source of fluid. In the case of neurogenic DI the drug desmopressin is taken to control the frequent thirst and urination.

There is no natural cure for diabetes insipidus but it doesn't pose any serious complications to the health if the person can take on fluids whenever they feel thirsty. It is confused with diabetes mellitus because the symptoms are similar but testing will determine which disease the person may be afflicted with.

Are You Suffering From Diabetes Insipidus?

Diabetes insipidus is not a new term now. Many individuals suffer every year with this disorder. Diabetes insipidus is a disorder where a person experiences excessive thirst that results in excretion of large amount of diluted urine which is responsible for the reduction in the amount of the body fluid. It is commonly called as DI and there are various reasons that favour occurrence of DI in humans. The most prevalent type of diabetes insipidus is the neurogenic DI which is caused by the deficiency of the anti-diuretic hormone typically recognized as argentine vasopressin. Another type of DI is nephrogenic DI which is the result of non-responsiveness of the kidneys towards the vasopressin.

The symptoms of diabetes insipidus comprise excessive urination and feeling of frequent thirst. The symptom including excessive urination resembles that of the diabetes mellitus with a difference that no blood glucose is present in the urine. Blurring of the eye vision may also occur but is rare. Dehydration may also occur as a person is unable to conserve water resulting in loss of body water. The loss of water through frequent urination may persist throughout the day and may continue till night. The children suffering from DI may show loss of appetite, body weight, growth, fever, vomiting and diarrhea. Adult individuals with untreated DI may tend to remain healthy until the water loss is minimized but they are at greater risk of potassium ion depletion.

Diabetes insipidus may be diagnosed by testing the calcium level, bicarbonate level and the blood glucose level. The sodium ion is found to be comparatively high in the electrolyte test. The analysis of urine reveals dilute urine with low specific gravity and low electrolyte level. The fluid deprivation test reveals that whether the disorder is the result of excessive uptake of fluid or defect in the ADH production or due to unresponsiveness of the kidneys towards ADH. The fluid deprivation test also indicates the changes in body weight, urine output, and urine composition. The patients continue to urinate frequently in absence of any fluid intake. Desmopressin is given to the patients which is responsible for the reduction of the urine output and increases the osmolarity of the urine and the kidneys tend to function normally.

Electrolyte and volume homeostasis are the complex mechanisms of the human body that regulate the blood pressure and sodium and potassium ions in blood. Urine production is under the control of hypothalamus which secretes ADH from the supraoptic and the paravenrticular nuclei. After the synthesis of ADH, it is transported in the form of neurosecretory granules through the axons of hypothalamic neurons to the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland where it is stored to be used further. The ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus is responsible for the regulation of the thirst. Kidney is the main effector organ the fluid homeostasis. ADH is responsible for the absorption of the water into the bloodstream and concentrating the urine.

There are several forms of DI. One such type is the neurogenic diabetes insipidus which is commonly recognized as the central DI. It is caused when the production of the hormone vasopressin is lost in the brain. Other type is the nephrogenic DI which is the result of the failure of the response of the kidneys towards ADH. Third type of the diabetes insipidus is the gestational DI which is caused only during the period of pregnancy. It has been reported that all the pregnant ladies produce an enzyme vasopressinase in the placenta that breaks the ADH; this can attain many hazardous forms in the gestational DI. GDI in most cases is treated with desmopressin. Diabetes insipidus is also responsible for causing several dangerous diseases in the period of pregnancy like the pre-eclampsia, HELLP Syndrome and Acute fatty liver of pregnancy. These diseases are caused by the activation of the hepatic vasopressinase. Failure in the treatment of any of these diseases can lead to the death foetus. Another form of DI is the dipsogenic DI which occurs due to the defect or damage of the thirst mechanism that is controlled by the hypothalamus. This results in the abnormal intake of fluid and increase in the thirst which suppresses the ADH secretion resulting in increased production of urine. Desmopressin is ineffective for its treatement.

Central DI and gestational DI can be treated with the help of desmopressin but it is ineffective for the treatment of the nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Indomethacin is used for the treatment of the nephrogenic DI. Several types of amilorides are available for the treatment of DI. Diabetes insipidus if treated carefully will be kept under control.

Natural Cures for Diabetes Insipidus

A Guide to Diabetes Insipidus

Diabetes insipidus is referred as a condition where the kidneys fail to conserve water. It is a rare disorder that leads to frequent urination. For making up the lost water, a diabetic may feel the requirement of drinking large amounts of water and as a result urinate frequently, at night too. This may disrupt sleep and occasionally cause bed-wetting.

A child with this disorder is likely to be listless or irritable and may also have diarrhea, vomiting or fever. A mild form of diabetes insipidus is treated by drinking adequate water but in case of severe cases, if left untreated can endanger one's health. This however is a rare condition. There are various natural remedies that can help you cure this problem. These days' people are more in favor of using natural remedies to treat any kind of disease and diabetes insipidus is no different

The Top 7 Natural Cures for Diabetes Insipidus

1. A combination of turmeric powder, gooseberry powder and honey works wonders in treating diabetes insipidus. Juice made from gooseberries and turmeric can be consumed empty stomach. Alternatively, one can also consume grape juice daily. It is one of the most effective natural cures.

2. Mango leaves are one of the best natural cures for diabetes insipidus. For best results, those suffering from diabetes must boil few mango leaves and drink this water every morning on an empty stomach.

3. Rose Geranium: Rose Geranium helps to lower the level of blood sugar, lowers blood pressure as well as helps blood coagulation. This is one of the most beneficial herbs for diabetes. It works wonders for patients suffering from diabetes mellitus as often the sufferers have wounds that are opening on their feet along with skin ruptures.

4. Milk thistle is a very effective form especially amongst the diabetes herbal remedies. As per a research, it has been discovered that milk thistle contains antioxidant properties that contribute to the health of diabetics. It is one of the most recommended natural cures for diabetes insipidus.

5. Soak few black raisins in a bowl of water overnight. Strain this next morning and drink the clear liquid that is obtained. Taken on a regular basis, it helps to control blood sugar. It is one of the best natural cures for diabetes.

6. Chewing few leaves of Butea tree regularly helps to keep blood sugar in check.

7. Consuming jamuns, oranges and tomatoes diligently on a regular basis helps in bringing down the level of blood sugar.

Apart from these natural remedies one can also try natural herbal medicines such as Meshashringi from Himalaya for curing diabetes insipidus without any side effects.

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Information on Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetes Insipidus

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder that prevents the body to utilize glucose completely or partially. It is characterized by raising glucose concentration in the blood and alterations in carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism. This can be due to failure in the formation of insulin or liberation or action. Since insulin is produced by the ² cells of the islets of Langerhans, any receding in the number of functioning cells will decrease the amount of insulin that can be synthesized.

Many diabetics can produce sufficient insulin but some stimulus to the islets tissue is needed in order that secretion can take place. In the early stages of the disease the Insulin Like Activity (ILA) of the blood is often increased, but most of this insulin appears to be bound to protein and is not available for transport across the cell membrane and action of the cell.

The hormones of the anterior pituitary, adrenal cortex, thyroid and ± cells of the islets of Langerhans are glucogenic, that is, they increase the supply of glucose. Possibly they could increase the demand, decrease the secretion or antagonize and inhibit the action of insulin. The body releases hormones that raise blood glucose levels to provide a quick source of energy for coping with stress. In the stress conditions diabetes mellitus may precipitate with genetic predisposition.

Diabetes Insipidus is a condition that shares some of the symptoms of diabetes mellitus, large urine output, great thirst and sometimes a large appetite. But in diabetes insipidus these are symptoms of a specific injury, not a collection of metabolic disorders. The impaired pituitary gland produces less anti-diuretic hormone, a substance that normally helps the kidneys retain water.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

Diabetes Insipidus Manifesting As Diabetes Symptoms

Diabetes Mellitus is characterized by many typical symptoms like fatigue, weight loss, loss of energy, stomach cramps, neuropathy and so on. One other common diabetes symptom is Diabetes Insipidus. Read on to find out more about this symptom.

What is Diabetes Insipidus?

Diabetes Insipidus or DI as it is usually referred to is a diabetes related disorder that causes the diabetic to pass tremendous amounts of urine. He also feels a heightened sense of thirst, which forces him to drink more fluids, consequently releasing more urinary output.

Several things working together maintain the fluid balance in the body. The Antidiuretic hormone or the ADH, which is generated by the pituitary, is one of the most important things that control this delicate balance. This hormone influences the amount of fluids the kidneys can absorb into the system and the amount it can treat as output.

When the pituitary gland detects the presence of lesser fluid than necessary, it automatically increases the level of ADH. This way, the kidney retains more water inside the system and throws out much less. This also happens vice versa. When the body is normal and healthy, this balanced is perfectly well regulated.

Diabetes Insipidus, which is a core symptom of Diabetes Mellitus, occurs when the pituitary ends up producing much lesser ADH than necessary. Either that, or the kidneys lose their ability to respond to the ADH present in the body. Either way, the person suffering from DI passes a whole lot more urine than normally acceptable. Also, the patient's blood is normally highly concentrated with a high degree of solute and much less fluid volume.

Symptoms of DI

Symptoms of DI include extreme fatigue and weakness, even mild fever, low blood pressure, fast pulse, dizziness, irritability and general confusion.

When DI can be suspected

DI should be suspected if the patient suddenly feels a heightened amount of thirst, consumes an abnormally high amount of water and also registers much higher amounts of urine than normal. This urine, when tested in the laboratory, will be very dilute in liquid and very concentrate in solute. Examination of the blood too will show low volumes of fluid content.

A water deprivation test should be performed on the patient to reveal the real intensity of the disorder. For this, the patient is required to stop intake of fluids and is checked every hour. Also, his weight before the test is recorded. The test is stopped when the following occurs:

- He loses more than 5 percent of his body weight 

- His blood pressure takes a steep dip and pulse rate rises 

- His urine samples do not register a significant change even after stopping the water intake

Treatment

There are many medicines available today which function to decrease the quantity of urine produced in the body. They include injections, inhalations, antidiuretic drugs and so on. Some patients will also need to stick to a certain diet, as advised by the physician.

Taking in enough water and fluids can easily control the simplest, most uncomplicated form of diabetes insipidus. But if this particular diabetes symptom is neglected, it can lead to several serious complications at a later time and may even turn fatal if left unattended to.

Diabetes in Dogs and Its Complications

Is your dog frequently getting thirsty and urinating often? Do you find him losing weight suddenly without any reason? Your dog may have diabetes!

Though it is shocking to know dogs too can get diabetes like humans, they too suffer serious complications from this condition.

Diabetes is fundamentally a disease where you will find increase in the blood sugar levels which causes defective metabolism bringing on various effects on different parts of the body. Canine diabetes is generally divided into two major groups, Diabetes Insipidus and Diabetes Mellitus.

Diabetes Insipidus is a rare type of diabetes where there is defective secretion of the anti-diuretic hormone called vasopressin which functions as the controlling factor in the water absorption of the kidneys.

Diabetes mellitus is the most common type of diabetes and is further classified as Type I and II diabetes. Type I affects a younger age group and is called as juvenile diabetes while type II is found more in older dogs especially those that are obese. Lack of insulin triggers this condition.

Other than the frequent urination and drinking of water there are many other symptoms that indicate that your dog may have diabetes. Sudden weight loss, deterioration in hair and skin quality, vomiting, dehydration, weakness in the hind legs and recurrent bacterial infections (that too secondary ones) that do not heal easily are a few of the other symptoms.

In case of the disease being severe there will be conditions like keto-acidosis, kidney failure, blindness and even acute diabetic neuropathy which are difficult to treat. If the disease is in a critical stage the affected dog will not respond to medications properly.

If your pet has any of the symptoms listed above you should get your dog checked with the veterinarian immediately. The veterinarian usually conducts a thorough physical examination and suggests various laboratory tests like blood and urine tests. In serious conditions a kidney and liver test is also needed to know the severity or extent of the disease.

If the canine diabetes is diagnosed and the type of diabetes is determined, the veterinarian will prescribe the required medications and diet that should be followed to keep the disease in check. Medications should be followed strictly and in case of insulin injections that need to be administered daily the pet owner should know about administration, dosage and storage of insulin.

Diet is very significant in the treatment of diabetes as with a controlled diet you can easily bring the sugar levels to a regulated amount. So, it's vital to follow the diet advised by the dog's veterinarian and usually dividing a single feed and giving it in two or more increments will help keep the level in check. Make sure you feed the dog with easily digestible foods.

The medications given to the dogs vary and depend on the type of diabetes found and the severity of the disease. Make sure your veterinarian can be reached immediately in case of emergencies like hypoglycemia or be equipped to deal with it yourself.

Diabetes in dogs can be treated and held in check if diagnosed early and proper medications are given. So ensure that you have your dog checked at regular intervals to keep him healthy and fit.

What You Should Know About Canine Diabetes

There are two types of canine diabetes: diabetes insipidus, also referred to as juvenile diabetes and diabetes mellitus. Diabetes insipidus is more commonly found in puppies and younger dogs. It is a lack of vasopressin, an anti-diuretic, that controls the kidney's ability to absorb water.

Diabetes mellitus is more often found in dogs a bit older, and is the more serious of the two types.

Diabetes can be found in 1 out of every 200 dogs. There is no cure. It is usually hereditary. It must be diagnosed, controlled, and maintained as it is life threatening.

WHAT IS CANINE DIABETES?

It is a disease of your dog's endocrine system. It is a disorder of the metabolism of protein, fat and carbohydrate due to insulin deficiency. When the pancreas cannot produce enough natural insulin to regulates the absorption and utilization of glucose (sugar) you will have either hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia. Hypoglycemia means low blood sugar, often caused by the wrong treats/food or missed meals.

Hyperglycemia is high blood sugar, normally caused by missed insulin, too much food, and/or lessened exercise.

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, which helps balance your dog's blood sugar. If their body doesn't produce it or enough of it, it needs it from an outside source.

Most commonly found in dogs between the ages of 5-9 years, diabetes mellitus is often found in overweight dogs, unsprayed females, and as a rule because it is hereditary; there are higher occurrences in certain breeds.

Another excellent reason to spay your female, it eliminates the interaction between female hormones with the blood sugar levels, reducing their chances of getting diabetes.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

The most common signs and symptoms to watch for are: excess thirst, more frequent urination, dehydration, increased appetite, yet sudden weight loss, lethargy, depression, rapid breathing, vomiting, sweet, acetone smelling breath, frequent urinary tract infections, cataracts, enlarged liver, blindness, and coma.

Remember, this is a life threatening disease.

The sweet smell of acetone in your dog's breath is a common sign of ketosis. Ketosis occurs when there are elevated levels of ketones, which are toxic acids. They are the breakdown product caused when your dog's body burns fat as a source of energy for their muscles.

Do not be deceived into a false sense of security, because your dog's appetite appears to have increased. What is happening is, the glucose is not making it to their brain, so their brain is getting the message they are always hungry.

Another complication of the disease is the auto-immune problems, causing function failure of other vital organs. These changes must be monitored and reported to your veterinarian as soon as possible.

DIAGNOSING AND TESTING

To make a diagnosis, your veterinarian at a minimum, will perform blood and urine tests to measure glucose levels.

TREATMENTS

Should diabetes is found, certain changes will have to be made and schedules strictly followed. They include stringently scheduled and portioned high fiber/protein meals. The same would hold true for exercise and insulin shots.

If your dog is overweight, a weight reduction program would be started, including portion control, type of food control and scheduled exercises to reduce your pet to an ideal weight.

Most likely, your veterinarian will place your pet on a high fiber and protein diet. Fats and carbohydrates will be restricted or eliminated. A regularly scheduled exercise program must be adhered to, with at least one 20 - 30 minutes session per day, to control the ups and down of your dog's blood sugar.

Regular check-ups, urine and blood tests are also essential. Any changes you note should be immediately reported to your veterinarian.

BREEDS PREDISPOSED TO DIABETES

No breed is spared from getting canine diabetes. However, as the disease is most often hereditary, the following are the breeds it is most often found in; they include, but are not limited to: Keeshhond, Dachshunds, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Samoyed, German Shepherds, Schnauzers, Poodles, Yorkshire Terriers, Cairn Terriers, Miniature Pinschers, Beagles, Bichon Frise, and Border Collies.