Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus

Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus:

Causes
Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is a genetic disease and it is carried mainly in the X chromosomes of the human body. I am sure that you must be knowing that males have both X and Y chromosomes while females have two X chromosomes. It is the X chromosome that carries this gene of Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. If the X chromosome of a girl is carrying this gene, then the girl will not suffer much but she will be the carrier. This is because one X chromosome of the girl will be good, making up for the bad chromosome. Females with this problem, are called carriers. The males on the other hand, will have only one X chromosome and if it contains the gene, then they become affected by this diabetes. This does not mean that the females are only carriers and not suffers. No. They too show symptoms of this problem, but very mild symptoms.

Another reason for a person having this problem of Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is that the receptor gene in the human body remains normal, but the gene which helps in the formation of the water channel in the kidney, which reabsorbs the water in our body, is damaged. This can happen to anyone, male or female. This kind of diabetes insipidus is not a hereditary type of problem. Even if no one in the family has had this problem, the genetic type of NDI, a person in the same family might have it too.

Nephrogenic Diabetic Insipidus:

Symptoms

There are several Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus symptoms that a person suffering from this problem shows. Since, the kidneys in the patient's body fail to retain enough water and releases most of it in the form of diluted urine, dehydration is one of the most common symptoms of Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. The other common symptoms are:

• Fatigue and lethargic feeling
• Severe headache
• Heart rate increases
• Pain in the muscles
• Rapid loss of weight
• Dry mucous membrane
• Excessive thirst
• Skin becomes dry
• Excessive urine
• Body temperature becomes low
• Person becomes irritated
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Seizures
• Eyes have a sunken appearance.

Due to NDI, a person might undergo several complications. One such complication is that due to constant flow of urine and that too several times a day, the uterus and the urinary bladder expands which in turn might lead to several problems in future. The person also suffers from severe dehydration. The blood plasma becomes highly concentrated and if this is not checked on time, then the brain can undergo permanent damage. If severe dehydration occurs then, death can also take place. Hence, as soon as one starts to show the symptoms, Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus treatment has to be started. Let us now see what are the various treatments that are available.

Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus:

Treatments
Fortunately, if treated at the right time, or at an early stage, NDI can be easily cured. The most important treatment is to make up for the loss of fluid and regulate the fluid level in the body. For this one has to drink lots of water. One can also use hydrochlorothiazide to improve the symptoms in the body. The doctor might ask the patient to take it either with the combination of other medicines such as indomethacin or it can also be taken alone. This reduces the output of urine. These medicines do have some side effects which the doctor will tell you about. One also needs to take a high diet protein and a diet that is rich in sodium. All these treatments will reduce the rate of urine output, but at present, there are no such cure for this type of diabetes insipidus.

Diabetes Insipidus

Diabetes Insipidus:
Diabetes Insipidus is a medication condition (endocrine disorder) caused due to the deficiency of a hormone named Vasopressin, an antidiuretic hormone (ADH) that is secreted by pituitary gland in brain or development of insensitivity of kidneys to the ADH hormone. Large amount of highly diluted urine is excreted because of the inability of the kidney to concentrate the urine. The amount of urine excreted remains high even if the amount of fluid intake is reduced to any level.
(Excessive urination in medical terms is considered when a patient urinates more than 50ml of urine per kg of his/her body weight in an interval of about 2 hours or in simple words more than 14 liters a day.)

Signs and symptoms of Diabetes Insipidus:
The patient feels extremely thirsty and continues to urinate day and night in excessive amount. The blood glucose level in urine unlike diabetes mellitus is not high and doesn't taste sweet. The patient suffering from Diabetes Insipidus also experiences blurred vision. Symptoms of Diabetes Insipidus in children include problems related to the physical growth, affected hunger, weight gain, diarrhea, vomiting and fever. Excessive urination in adults can lead to dehydration if not compensated with proper intake of liquid. People suffering from Diabetes Insipidus may wake up several times in the night to urinate.

Causes:
As mentioned earlier, Diabetes Insipidus is mainly caused due to the following two reasons:1) Antidiuretic hormones deficiency in body that is secreted by hypothalamus in brain to maintain balance of water in urine and blood.2) if the kidney loses its ability to recognize the antidiuretic hormones.3) People suffering from some kind of injury or a tumor in the brain (it can be either hereditary or caused by surgery or injury)4) Diseased pituitary gland causing lowered production of ADH

Types of Diabetes Insipidus:
There are four main sub-types of Diabetes Insipidus:
Central Diabetes Insipidus: Damaged hypothalamus in patient causes abnormal behavior of thirst mechanism, leading the condition to Central Diabetes Insipidus.
Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus: This is caused due to inability of the kidney in identification of antidiuretic hormones.
Dispogenic Diabetes Insipidus: This is caused due to damage or improper behavior of the thirst mechanism (which is located in hypothalamus).
Gestational Diabetes Insipidus: This is a rare form of DI and occurs only during pregnancy. During pregnancy an enzyme is produced in placenta which destroys antidiuretic hormones, this can lead to deficiency of ADH if production exceeds minimum level.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Diabetes Insipidus:
Other than excess urination, Diabetes Insipidus is pretty hard to diagnose and it is even harder to confirm the underlying causes of the disease.

Your doctor may perform blood test for ADH, calcium, bicarbonate and sugar level, urine test and examine the frequency and volume of urine, Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the patient's brain etc. Your doctor may also direct you to an endocrinologist to confirm the disease.

Once it is confirmed that the patient is suffering from Diabetes Insipidus, your doctor may perform some additional tests to narrow down on the underlying cause of the disease. One such test available is Fluid Deprivation Test (includes study and analysis of fluid intake and urination, body weight and other factors) which helps in finding out if the condition is caused due to lack of ADH in blood, kidney disorder or improper fluid intake.

Your doctor may choose to administer the ADH level in your body and use a synthetic ADH hormone DDAVP which can be taken in injection, pill form and can also be inhaled. The treatment may take some time to help patient restore the normal level/volume of urination (it always depends on the response of patient's body to the treatment).

In case if the hypothalamus/pituitary gland is damaged and causing problem, your doctor may suggest you undergo a surgery to remove the damaged gland (or tumor on the gland if any). This mode of treatment is generally used in Central Diabetes Insipidus.

What are Pre Diabetes Symptoms

What are Pre Diabetes Symptoms

There are several symptoms of pre diabetes, which generally range from constant hunger to disorders such as polyuria. Most of the pre diabetes symptoms are quite similar to actual diabetes symptoms, but their severity is only to a certain degree. However these symptoms are known to worsen with time and hence ignoring them can lead to severe complications in the body. The symptoms commonly observed in people suffering from pre diabetes include

• The individual feeling hungry and thirsty every now and then as the cells are not able to process food properly.
• The individual experiencing sudden weight loss or weight gain without any concrete reason due to the faulty body mechanism triggered by unhealthy sugar levels in blood.
• They may experience frequent urination as the body tries to flush out excess glucose from within.
• They may demonstrate some flu-like symptoms, accompanied by fatigue and weakness.
• Depreciation of immunity levels in the individual, as the food consumed is not utilized by the body, which may eventually lead to various infectious diseases.
• The individual may also experience blurred vision as high levels of glucose in the blood deform the lens by making the water from the lens to move out.
• As the capacity of energy production of the body depreciates, it may make the individual feel ill or exhausted.
• Impairment of healing mechanism in the body, which may result in prolonged healing duration for simple cuts and bruises.

These are some of the frequently observed pre diabetes symptoms which are very often accompanied by disorders such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. Every individual suffering from diabetes does experience these symptoms of pre diabetes just before the onset of diabetes.

These were the various pre diabetes symptoms which act as a 'warning' of the approaching hazard of diabetes in the future. Diagnosing pre diabetes can help in avoiding the further complications one is likely to face after contracting diabetes. As soon as you realize that your blood sugar levels have increased, you can take some preventive measures to curb the approaching hazard. Simple measures such as eating healthy food and regular exercising can ensure that you don't gain excess weight and your blood sugar levels return to normal. Smoking and other such harmful habits are best avoided. If you are suffering from high blood pressure or high cholesterol problems, you need to attend to them at the earliest. These are some of the simple yet effective measures by which a pre diabetic can maintain healthy blood sugar levels and thus keep diabetes at bay.

Pre Diabetic Diet Guidelines

Pre Diabetic Diet Guidelines

Pre diabetic condition can be easily overcome by following a proper diet plan. You just have to concentrate on healthy food and maintain a proper diet to avoid diabetes. By this and few exercise routine you can get back to your normal blood sugar level. Following are some of the tips to get yourself out of pre diabetes.

Vegetables in Pre Diabetic Conditions

When you are in a pre diabetic condition you need to have lots and lots of vegetables which are rich in fibers and are nutritious. Following is a pre diabetic food list which can help you to plan a menu for yourself.

• Carrots
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Onion
• Cucumber
• Mushrooms
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Tomatoes
• Green and fresh beans
• Broccoli
• Beets
• Lettuce
• Okra

Fruits in Pre Diabetic Conditions

Fruits are also very helpful in curing pre diabetic condition. Both fresh fruits and dry fruits are good for a pre diabetes diet. Fruit juices of the below given fruits can also help you if they do not have added sugar in it.

• Apple
• Oranges
• Grapefruit
• Lime
• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Dried Apricots
• Purines
• Pears

Sea Food and Meat in Pre Diabetic Conditions

You can have sea food and meat when you are suffering from pre diabetic conditions but you need to restrict the daily intake to a weekly basis and have to choose the options from the below given list.

• Sea food may include fish such as sardines, tilapia, tuna, haddock, cod, halibut, catfish herring, etc. It can also include shellfish.
• Poultry product may have egg, chicken, turkey, duck, etc. but all without skin.
• Other meat may have beef, pork and lamb but they should be fat-free.

Grains and Legumes in Pre Diabetic Conditions

• Concentrate more on whole grains than on processed grains. Following list may help you with pre diabetic conditions.
• Grain bread, such as buckwheat bread, oat bran bread, multi-grain bread etc.
• Other product may include oat bran cereal, muesli, wild rice, brown rice, whole barley, buckwheat, whole wheat spaghetti etc.
• Legumes may include kidney or pinto beans, soybeans, garbanzo beans, split peas etc.

There are a number of diabetic foods to avoid from a normal diet. The food products which contain a high amount of cholesterol and fats should be avoided at this stage. You should avoid fried and oily things. Concentrate more on nutrients than on the taste of the food product. Avoid having desserts like ice creams, sweets, pudding, etc. at least till you achieve a normal blood sugar level. There are many pre diabetic recipes through which you can get better taste in a healthy way

Healthy Snacks for Diabetics

Basics of a Diet for Diabetics

A person who has diabetes should keep an eye on some things while planning out his diabetic diet. The most obvious of them all, is how much sugar you consume. Even 5 year-olds, these days, know that a diabetic will take the turn for the worse, if he consumes sugar. But something which people do not know is that consuming excess simple carbohydrates too, may be harmful for you. This is because many carbohydrates are broken down into sugars in the liver and dramatically spike up the blood sugar levels. Hence, it is essential that diabetics also keep an eye on their carbohydrate consumption. Alcoholic beverages and fried items are the foods to avoid. So with these things in mind, let me tell you some healthy snacks for diabetics.

Healthy Snacks for Diabetics

We can see that a healthy snack for diabetics would be one which reduces the consumption of simple carbohydrates and sugars. So where does a diabetic turn to, to fulfill the 4 O'clock craving? Unknown to most people, it is this craving where a lot of calories and sugars are ingested by unsuspecting snackers. Hence, it is essential to keep a list of healthy snacks for diabetics, which will guide them to healthier snack options which are rich in protein and complex carbohydrates.

Go Nuts!
Jokes apart, nuts are one of the best snack options for everyone, especially diabetics. Almonds are one of the best nuts to eat and a really healthy diabetic snack. But make sure you have only a handful of those as they add a lot of calories and should be consumed in moderation. Walnuts, pecans, peanuts, and cashews are also good options.

Whole Grain Crackers
Whole grain crackers buck you up with complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates take more time to be absorbed in the body and hence keep you feeling full for a longer amount of time. Whole grain crackers do just that. You can get them in various flavors too, so look out for those!

Fruits
Not being allowed to consume sugar concentrated foods, it severely restricts the choices of fruits for diabetics, but there are some fruits which are specifically recommended for diabetics like apple (with skin), grapefruit, blueberries and apricots. But stay away from others like dates, grapes and watermelons which have a high sugar content. Fruits ought to be eaten in moderation. Dry fruits are a complete no-no.

Meet the Meat
Good news for meat loving diabetics, is that white meat is not at all harmful to diabetics. So you can whip up a simple boiled turkey/chicken sandwich with brown bread. You could also have chicken salad. A brown-bread tuna sandwich is also a cool option.

Popcorn
Another good news is that you need not restrain yourself on popcorn the next time you go for a movie. But make sure that they are air-popped and do not have too much salt. Popcorn makes a low calorie, low sugar snack.

Soup
Any non-starchy vegetable like spinach, celery would do the trick. Just boil it in vegetable or chicken stock, add a little salt and pepper, and mash them later to make the soup.

Veggie Snack
Carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, cauliflower, etc., are some vegetables that can be consumed raw and are very filling. If you want, you can add them to a non-fat yogurt, put in a light dressing and munch away.

The Unclassified Others
Other unclassified foods which make a great healthy snack for diabetics are: low-fat yogurt, low fat cottage cheese, whole grain crackers, skim milk, low-sodium low-fat tortilla chips, etc. You could also boil the raw veggies and sprinkle some black pepper powder on them to make them a bit tastier.

"Early Signs of Diabetes"

Early Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes

A few symptoms of diabetes are manifested in the early stage (or prediabetes phase). Hence, about one-third of people who have diabetes remain unaware of the high blood sugar level. When early signs of diabetes are present, they are often confused with symptoms of other health problems. Let's look into some of the warming signs of diabetes.

• A common sign exhibited in the early stages of type 1 and type 2 diabetes is frequent urination (polyuria). Since the glucose in the blood increases above the normal level, filtration by kidneys is incomplete. This also hampers water absorption by the kidneys, resulting in frequent urination.
• Due to increase in the frequency of urination, the body losses excessive fluid. Ultimately, dehydration occurs, causing increased thirst (polydipsia). If one is drinking more fluid than the usual amount, and the number of urination is increased, either type 1 or type 2 diabetes is suspected.
• Another warning sign of type 1 and type 2 diabetes is increased appetite. One of the functions of insulin is stimulating hunger. Since, the body starts secreting more insulin to lower glucose level in the bloodstream, it is obvious to experience increased hunger (polyphagia).
• A patient who is in the prediabetes stage suffers from unusual weight loss, even without trying. This is caused due to excessive loss of sugar in the urine. The body starts using muscular proteins and fats as its source of energy, resulting in weight loss. This symptom is typical of type 1 diabetes.
• In a person with prediabetes, excess sugar is found in the blood and not in the cells. As the body cells are deprived of the main energy source - glucose, the patient feels increased fatigue at most of the time. Physical ability is lowered and the patient gets tired very easily.
• Vision problem is reported in patients of type 2 diabetes. Increase in the blood sugar levels leads to change in the shape of the eye lenses. Over time, this results in poor focusing power and blurred vision in patients.
• A type 2 diabetic patient suffers from frequent yeast and skin infections. Unchecked high sugar brings about damage to the nerves, causing neuropathy symptoms (numbness in the extremities). In addition, cuts and wounds take longer period to heal.

It has been found that the immune system of a diabetic patient is low, as compared to a healthy person. This may be due to presence of elevated glucose in the blood, which in turn hampers the proper functioning of white blood cells (leucocytes). Thus, overall defense mechanism of the body gets disturbed and the person experiences frequent yeast infection, skin infection, accompanied with slow healing of bruises. As far as early signs of gestational diabetes are concerned, it seldom produces notable signs. The expecting mother rarely feels polyuria and polydipsia.

In case, a person experiences any of the above mentioned warning signs, he/she should go for blood glucose test right away. Seeking advice from a health specialist for proper diagnosis is necessary. Doing so will help in delaying the onset or even control this chronic ailment. The doctor may suggest lifestyle changes and diet modification to keep the blood sugar level under control.

List of Foods a Diabetic Can Eat"

"List of Foods a Diabetic Can Eat"

When an individual suffers from any of the type of diabetes, he is under a strict restriction on what foods to eat and what foods to avoid. Since some of the foods can trigger the overproduction of glucose, they must be completely avoided. The best food for diabetics is the one that controls the blood glucose levels in diabetes. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes diet are more or less the same with the similar role of controlling glucose in the bloodstream. For expectant mothers, following a gestational diabetes meal plan till the delivery is essential, as it not only keeps a check on diabetes, it also provides the necessary nutrients, both for the mother and child. Given below is the diabetes diet menu, which is recommended for individuals suffering from type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.

Carbohydrates

Fruits like apples, peaches, berries, pears, etc.
Vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, onions, mushrooms, celery, cloves etc.. Green leafy vegetables like fenugreek and spinach can also be included.
Other foods in the menu are oats porridge, barley and bran.
Fiber rich foods also should be included especially in the gestational diabetes diet since it helps in the proper digestion of food and ensures proper bowel movement.

Proteins

Vegetables like soybeans, lentils, millets.
Lean meat like veal, lamb, beef and pork etc.
Nuts like Brazil nuts, pine nuts and peanuts.

Fats

Vegetable oils such as sunflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil and olive oil.
Unsaturated margarine.
Oily fish like mackerel, herrings, salmon and tuna.