Causes of Diabetes Insipidus
Your body produces a substance called vasopressin, also called an anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) that helps to control the speed of the fluids that are passed from the body. ADH is produced in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus and deposited in the pituitary gland. It guides the kidney to hold or pass the water. In simple terms, when your body is dehydrated, ADH level rises and your kidneys absorb more water and excrete concentrated urine. If your body is overhydrated, ADH level goes down and your kidneys pass out clear urine.
The causes vary depending on the type:
- Central Diabetes Insipidus occurs when damage to the pituitary gland or hypothalamus disturbs the body’s production and release of ADH. The damage can be due to surgery, tumour, infection, or head injury. In this condition, your body releases excessive fluids and you urinate more.
- Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus occurs when your kidneys don’t respond to ADH. Some of its causes are chronic kidney diseases, blocked urinary tract, high blood calcium level, or low level of potassium. The condition can also be caused due to genetic disorder.
- Dipsogenic Diabetes Insipidus occurs when your body cannot control your thirst. The excessive water makes you urinate more and as a result, your body lowers the amount of ADH it creates. Causes of dipsogenic diabetes may include injury to pituitary glands due to inflammation, infection, and surgery. It is also known as primary polydipsia.
- Gestational Diabetes Insipidus is rare and occurs only in pregnant women. It occurs when the placenta produces an enzyme that disturbs the mother’s ADH.
Normal fluid regulation
Water occupies 60 per cent of your body’s overall mass. It is very important to maintain the adequate amount of fluid your body needs in a day. Sweat and urine are ways to eliminate excess fluid from your body. The kidneys play an important part in maintaining a healthy level of fluid in your body. If your body loses more fluid due to sweating, then it balances the fluid by making less urine or vice versa.
Your brain plays an important role in following the process. The hypothalamus, a small part of the brain, is located at the base of the brain near the pituitary gland. It controls your feeling of thirst and your urge to drink water. Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH) produced by the brain is stored in the pituitary gland.
The pituitary gland releases and gets rid of water as per the body’s requirement. When any part of this system breaks, it leads to the health condition.
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Risk Factors of Diabetes Insipidus
One of the main risk factors for developing diabetes insipidus is genetic predisposition.
Diagnosis of Diabetes Insipidus
To check if you have the health condition, your doctor will first carry out a physical examination followed by an understanding of your health history. Later, the doctor may ask you to do a series of tests that includes:
- Urine Analysis – Your doctor will send your urine samples to check if your urine is concentrated or diluted. The test will also check the glucose level. The doctor might also ask you to collect your urine for over a day to check the quantity.
- Blood Test – Your doctor may carry out a blood test to check the electrolyte and glucose level. This will help the doctor to understand whether you have the health condition or not. If yes, then its type and level are also tested for.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) – This test helps you to take pictures of your internal organs, which helps to check if there is an issue with the pituitary gland.
- Fluid Deprivation Test – This test keeps a track of your body weight, blood sodium and urine concentration after you stop your fluid intake for a specific period of time.
Other diagnosis methods include: