Diabetes insipidus is a condition marked by always feeling thirsty and often urinating in large quantities, even up to 20 liters in a day. Although the name and main symptoms are similar to diabetes mellitus, these two conditions are actually very different.
Diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus both cause symptoms of frequent drinking and frequent urination. However, unlike diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus is not related to blood sugar levels.
The process of the appearance of this condition is also not related to diet or lifestyle like diabetes mellitus in general.
Compared to diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus is a relatively rare disease. This disease is estimated to only occur in 1 in 25,000 people.
Causes and Symptoms of Diabetes Insipidus
Diabetes insipidus occurs as a result of disturbances in hormones that help regulate body fluid levels. This disorder causes the production of urine to become excessive so that the sufferer often urinates in large quantities. Some of the conditions that can cause disturbances in these hormones are genetic abnormalities, brain tumors , and drug side effects.
Diabetes insipidus is characterized by an excessive amount of urine. Generally, a person releases 1-2 liters of urine or urinates 4-7 times a day. In patients with diabetes insipidus, the amount of urine that comes out every day can reach 3-20 liters and urination can occur every 15-20 minutes.
Treatment and Prevention of Diabetes Insipidus
The treatment of diabetes insipidus depends on the cause of the hormonal disorder experienced by the sufferer. Some of the actions that the doctor can take are:
- Advise the patient to drink a lot to avoid dehydration
- Prescribing drugs to reduce urine production
In most cases, diabetes insipidus cannot be prevented. Moreover, this condition is often related to other diseases whose incidence is difficult to predict. Even so, the patient can still control the symptoms that arise due to diabetes insipidus.