Symptoms of diabetes insipidus

Among modern people, we often see people suffering from diabetes insipidus, but there are people of all ages, and the symptoms of the disease are different for people of each age group, which may be related to age. This disease seriously affects the patient's normal life. The patient will have frequent urination, thirst, polydipsia, dehydration and become irritable. Diabetes insipidus is a disease caused by a deficiency of antidiuretic hormone, which results in difficulty in the renal tubules reabsorbing water.

Diabetes insipidus is divided into four types: primary, secondary, hereditary and physical injury. We need to care for these patients around us, help them find out the cause of the disease, and encourage them to continue receiving treatment. Because this disease can even lead to death in severe cases. What are the specific symptoms and causes of diabetes insipidus?

Diabetes insipidus is a disease caused by the deficiency of antidiuretic hormone (arginine vasopressin, AVP) and the dysfunction of renal tubular water reabsorption, which is characterized by polyuria, thirst, polydipsia and low specific gravity urine. The disease is caused by lesions in the hypothalamus-neurohypophysis, but some cases have no obvious cause. Diabetes insipidus can occur at any age, but is more common in young people.

The main clinical manifestations of diabetes insipidus are polyuria, polydipsia and polydipsia, and the onset is often acute. The 24-hour urine volume can be as high as 5-10L, but not more than 18L. The urine specific gravity is usually below 1.005, and the urine color is as light as clear water. Some patients have mild symptoms, with a 24-hour urine volume of only 2.5-5L. If water intake is restricted, the urine specific gravity may exceed 1.010, and the urine osmotic pressure may exceed the plasma osmotic pressure, which is called partial diabetes insipidus.

Due to hypoosmotic polyuria, plasma osmotic pressure often increases slightly, thereby stimulating the thirst center. Patients drink a lot of water due to thirst and prefer cold drinks. The patient's general health will not be seriously affected if adequate water is supplied. However, when the lesion involves the hypothalamic thirst center, the feeling of thirst disappears, or due to surgery, anesthesia, craniocerebral trauma, etc., the patient is in an unclear state of foreign language consciousness. If a large amount of water is not replenished in time, severe dehydration may occur, and the plasma osmotic pressure and serum sodium concentration will increase significantly, leading to extreme weakness, fever, mental symptoms, and even death. This is more common in secondary diabetes insipidus.

There are three medical treatments for diabetes insipidus. One is hormone replacement therapy, the second is treatment with other antidiuretic drugs, and the third is etiological treatment. Diabetes insipidus caused by mild brain damage or infection can be fully recovered, but idiopathic diabetes insipidus is often permanent. When we find similar patients around us, we must seek treatment as soon as possible to avoid missing the best treatment time.