2. Suffix: -uria (condition of urine)
Medical Terms with the –uria suffix:
Polyuria – excessive urination
• The most common cause of excessive urination is
diabetes
• Including Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes and
diabetes insipidus…
• Why is this?
Source: www.livestrong.com/article/10230-treat-excessive-urination
3. Polyuria Caused by Diabetes Mellitus
• Diabetes mellitus is a disorder of blood glucose
regulation, which results from a deficiency in the
action of the hormone insulin
• May be due to autoimmune destruction of the
insulin-secreting cells of the pancreas (type 1) or
it may result from a problem in the
responsiveness of tissues to insulin, known as
insulin resistance (type 2)
• The result is hyperglycemia (high levels of
glucose in the plasma)
4. Diagram: Polyuria Caused by Type I Diabetes
Mellitus
Photo source: courses.washington.edu/conj/bess/polyuria
5. Other Possible Causes of Polyuria
• Urinary tract infections
• Bladder conditions
• Interstitial cystitis
• Enlarged prostrate
• Benign prostate hypertrophy
• Poorly controlled diabetes
Source: www.rightdiagnosis.com/symptoms/polyuria
6. Other Medical Terms With Suffix -uria
• Calciuria – excessive calcium in the urine
• Ammoniuria – excessive ammonia in the urine
• Oliguria - decreased urine production. Can be
caused by hydration due to vomiting; can also be
one of the earliest signs of renal failure
• Anuria – Complete absence of urine production;
a symptom of kidney failure
Source: Livestrong.com/polyuria
7. Suffix:-dipsia(condition of thirst)
Medical Term with the –dipsia suffix:
Polydipsia – excessive thirst,
which may be an indication of
diabetes
Photo source: ooiguoxuan.blogspot.com
8. Polydipsia Caused by Diabetes Mellitus
• Diabetes Mellitus is primarily a disease of
metabolism. It is caused by the inefficient
production of insulin by the beta cells in the
pancreas, leading to increased levels of glucose
(hyperglycemia) in the blood. This causes
polydipsia. The increase in thirst is due to the
dehydration caused by the polyuria
9. Other Medical Conditions that May Cause
Polydipsia
• Alsing Syndrome – A syndrome characterized by renal problems,
optic complications and skeletal abnormalities may also trigger
polyuria and polydipsia, due to the renal complications involved
• Anxiety – May induce or reduce the blood pressure, causing one to
feel increasingly thirsty
• Cushing Syndrome – It is a disorder that results due to the
body’s exposure to high levels of cortisol that may either be
produced normally or may be induced by steroids. This causes skin
problems, sexual problems, and other problems within which fall
polydipsia and polyuria.
Source: www.primehealthchannel.com/polydipsia
10. Other Possible Causes of Polydipsia
• A recent salty or spicy meal
• Bleeding enough to cause a significant decrease in blood
volume
• Certain drugs (examples: anticholinergics,
demeclocycline, diuretics, phenothiazines
• Excessive loss of water and salt (could be due to not
drinking enough water, diarrhea, vomiting, or profuse
sweating)
Source: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus
11. Other Medical Terms With Suffix -dipsia
• Hydroadipsia – absence of thirst for water
• Oligodipsia – abnormal absence of thirst
