How does polyuria occur in diabetes

They often occur together and are three of the most common diabetes symptoms. Polydipsia is the word used to describe excessive thirst. In people with diabetes, polydipsia is caused by increased blood glucose levels. When blood glucose levels get high, your kidneys produce more urine in an effort to remove the extra glucose from your body.

Meanwhile, because your body is losing fluids, your brain tells you to drink more in order to replace them. This leads to the feeling of intense thirst associated with diabetes. Most people produce about 1—2 liters of urine per day 1 liter equals about 4 cups. People with polyuria produce more than 3 liters of urine in a day. When blood glucose levels are too high, your body will try to remove some of the excess glucose via urination.

This also leads to your kidneys filtering out more water, which leads to an increased need to urinate. Passing abnormal amounts of urine can also be associated with other things besides diabetes, including:.

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Sign In or Create an Account. Sign In. Advanced Search. Search Menu. Article Navigation. Close mobile search navigation Article Navigation. Volume Article Contents Abstract. Osmotic polyuria: an overlooked mechanism in diabetic nephropathy. Shinong Wang , Shinong Wang. Oxford Academic. Grace M.

Raimund Hirschberg. Select Format Select format. Permissions Icon Permissions. Abstract Tubulo-interstitial pathology in diabetic nephropathy is thought to be caused by cell injury that is induced by high ambient glucose levels and increased proportions of glycated proteins. Diabetes , diabetic nephropathy , polyuria , shear stress , tubular pressure. Open in new tab Download slide. The pathogenesis of chronic renal failure in diabetic nephropathy. Investigation of cases of diabetic glomerulosclerosis.

Google Scholar Crossref. Search ADS. Shear stress-mediated NO production in inner medullary collecting duct cells. Google Scholar PubMed. Cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitor blocks expression of mediators of renal injury in a model of diabetes and hypertension. Macrophages in mouse type 2 diabetic nephropathy: correlation with diabetic state and progressive renal injury.

Functional and structural changes in the rat kidney by long-term lithium treatment. Mechanical strains induced by tubular flow affect the phenotype of proximal tubular cells.

Delivery and expression of fluid shear stress-inducible promoters to the vessel wall: applications for cardiovascular gene therapy. Tubular expression of connective tissue growth factor correlates with interstitial fibrosis in type 2 diabetic nephropathy. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 production is pathogenetic in experimental murine diabetic renal disease.

Effects of diuretic states on collecting duct fluid flow resistance in the hamster kidney. Renal histologic and ultrastructural findings in psychogenic polydipsia and diabetes insipidus.

Prevention of diabetic glomerulopathy in streptozotocin diabetic rats by insulin treatment. Kidney size and glomerular volume. Inhibition of mTOR signaling with rapamycin attenuates renal hypertrophy in the early diabetic mice. Application of red laser video-rate scanning confocal microscopy to in vivo assessment of tubular function in the rat: selective action of diuretics on tubular diameter. Glomerular filtration and tubular reabsorption of albumin in preproteinuric and proteinuric diabetic rats.

Type 2 Diabetes. By Dr. Sanjay Gupta For Paging Dr. Reviewed: October 21, See More. Nocturia has been studied more than polyuria. There is evidence suggesting that nocturia and polyuria are both more common in older patients.

Polyuria literally translates to "urinating too much" and may be the only symptom one experiences. However, depending on the cause, there are other symptoms that can accompany polyuria. When the cause is either diabetes insipidus or diabetes mellitus, polyuria is usually coupled with excessive thirst polydipsia. Frequent urination, especially at night nocturia , is often associated with polyuria, but it doesn't have to be. There are myriad causes of polyuria, which range from being as simple as drinking too much water to a serious health complication like kidney failure.

The following causes of polyuria are the most common. Diabetes mellitus is a condition caused by the body's inability to adequately control blood sugar, either because it is unable to properly manufacture insulin or a resistance to the effects of insulin. Diabetes mellitus leads to higher osmolarity in the bloodstream because of increased sugar levels. Think of the blood as a bit syrupy in a patient with diabetes mellitus. The kidneys must work to filter out the increased sugar by creating more urine.

Diabetes insipidus is completely different from diabetes mellitus and doesn't have anything to do with blood glucose levels. Instead, diabetes insipidus is related to polyuria directly in its connection to arginine vasopressin AVP , an antidiuretic hormone. Central diabetes insipidus is caused by a lack of arginine vasopressin secretion due to a neurological condition. Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is due to failure of the kidney to respond to AVP.

Central diabetes insipidus can be acquired from a medical or traumatic brain injury. Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is usually inherited. Certain medications are designed to increase urination to treat conditions like congestive heart failure and high blood pressure. Those medications can lead to polyuria if the dosages are not correct. Lithium is a medication used to control mood disorders. It is almost entirely excreted from the body in urine and can have a profound effect on the kidneys in patients who take it regularly.

Lithium can cause polyuria and polydipsia as a result of lithium-induced nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. If lithium is discontinued early enough once the polyuria is noticed, the symptoms can be reversed without any long-term damage. However, if polyuria is present and lithium is not discontinued, irreversible damage to the kidneys can cause permanent polyuria.

Both alcohol and caffeine have known diuretic effects. Drinking either one to excess is capable of triggering polyuria to the point of developing dehydration. The diuretic effects of caffeine can decrease over time in people who regularly drink it. Polyuria is a symptom rather than a medical condition in its own right.