help please !!!

Question

Contrast the effects on the kidneys of diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus.

Answer 1

Hi Zaira,

There are big differences between diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus! Let's talk about it!

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the "typical" type of diabetes we hear about. DM is an issue related to increased levels of glucose (or sugar) in your bloodstream. The cause of this is related to the type of diabetes you have, we won't worry about the different causes of DM for now. When we have increased levels of glucose in our bloodstream it causes systemic effects, including on the kidneys. The kidneys work to get rid of the excess sugar floating around, causing large amounts of sugar to be passed into your urine.

Diabetes Insipidus (DI) is more rare and has nothing to do with blood sugar. In DI the body does not make enough ADH (antidiuretic hormone), causing the kidneys to make a large amount of urine. In turn, making the patient pee in excessive amounts. I mean BIG amounts, like 10-20 times the normal amount of urine. When a person has an excess loss of fluid, like with frequent urination, they naturally become excessively thirsty as a response to the lack of fluid in the body. We see dehydration and electrolyte imbalances as a major complication of DI. Unless the patient is treated for the lack of ADH they will continue to pee and pee and pee, until additional complications set in.

Things we see in common with DI and DM: polydipsia (drinking a lot), polyuria (peeing a lot)

Answer 2

In diabetes mellitus, the level of glucose in your blood, also called blood sugar, is too high. Your kidneys try to remove the extra glucose by passing it in your urine. In diabetes insipidus, your blood glucose levels are normal, but your kidneys can't properly concentrate urine.