What Is Diabetes Insipidus?
Despite the similar-sounding name, diabetes insipidus is unrelated to diabetes mellitus, the condition that affects tens of millions of people’s ability to maintain normal blood sugar levels. Diabetes insipidus instead is a rare condition that affects the kidneys, making them unable to maintain appropriate fluid levels. The only characteristic the two conditions have in common is that they both cause increased thirst and urination.
The word diabetes comes from a Greek word that means siphon, referring to the increased amount of fluids taken in and excreted. Insipidus is a Latin term for something that lacks taste. Being tasteless may sound like a strange way to describe someone’s urine, but it actually refers to the symptom of having urine that is very diluted and pale in color. Learn how to recognize, diagnose and treat the four kinds of diabetes insipidus.
