Diabetes insipidus is a condition characterized by always feeling thirsty and often urinate in large quantities, even up to 20 liters a day. Although the name and main symptoms are similar to diabetes mellitus, the 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 emergence of this condition is also not related to diet or lifestyle like diabetes mellitus in general.
Compared with diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus is a disease that is quite rare. This disease is estimated to only occur in 1 in 25,000 people.
Causes and Symptoms of Diabetes Insipidus
Diabetes insipidus occurs due to disturbances in the hormones that help regulate body fluid levels. This disorder causes excessive urine production so that patients often urinate in large quantities. Some conditions that can cause disturbances in these hormones are genetic disorders, brain tumors, and side effects of drugs.
Diabetes insipidus is characterized by excessive amounts of urine. Generally, a person excretes 1-2 liters of urine or urinates 4-7 times a day. In people 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.
Diabetes Insipidus Treatment and Prevention
Treatment of diabetes insipidus depends on the cause of the hormonal disturbance experienced by the sufferer. Some actions that doctors can take are:
- Advise the patient to drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration
- Prescribing drugs to reduce urine production
In most cases, diabetes insipidus cannot be prevented. Moreover, this condition is often associated with other diseases whose occurrence is difficult to predict. Even so, patients can still control the symptoms that arise due to diabetes insipidus.