Acidosis – What it is, Causes, Symptoms and Treatments of this condition. Also, acidosis is the condition in which body fluids contain more acid than normal. The acidity of the blood is measured by determining its pH. Normal blood pH should be around 7.4. A pH below this means that the blood is acidic, while a higher pH means that the blood is basic.
There are two types of Acidosis : respiratory and metabolic. Respiratory occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) accumulates in the body due to some pulmonary pathology . Already the metabolic begins in the kidneys rather than in the lungs . It occurs when these organs cannot efficiently eliminate acid or when they eliminate excess base.
What is acidosis?
This condition is an excessive acidity of the blood and body fluids. It can occur when the body produces too much acid, the kidneys cannot remove the acid that is normally produced by the body or when a problem in the lungs causes carbon dioxide to accumulate in the blood , leaving it too acidic.
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Causes of Acidosis:
The acidosis can occur when the body produces too much acid, the kidneys fail to remove the acid normally produced by the body or when some problem in the lungs causes accumulation of carbon dioxide in the blood.
It occurs when the body’s cells do not have enough oxygen for their use and then produce lactic acid from carbohydrates, which builds up in the blood , causing Acidosis .
Some medical conditions are risk factors for acidosis : kidney and lung disorders, liver or heart disease, diabetes, cancer, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, certain genetic disorders, and the use of some medications.
Acidosis Symptoms:
In Acidosis , people may not have symptoms, but usually have
nausea ;
Vomiting;
Fatigue .
Breathing becomes deeper and a little faster (when the body tries to correct Acidosis by exhaling more carbon dioxide).
As Acidosis gets worse, the person starts to feel extremely weak and sleepy and may feel confused and nauseous.
In severe cases, heart problems may develop and blood pressure may drop, leading to shock, coma and death.
Acidosis Diagnosis:
The disease can be detected and monitored through blood tests . Identifying the disease clinically can be difficult because the symptoms are similar to those of other morbid conditions. This can be especially problematic when the person has another chronic illness.
Acidosis Treatments:
Almost always the treatment of acidosis is directed to reverse the cause. Doctors rarely administer alkaline medications, such as bicarbonate, to reverse the condition.
Treatment depends mainly on the cause. For example, treatment may be needed to control diabetes with insulin or to remove toxic substances from the blood in case of poisoning.
The treatment helps to improve the functioning of the lungs . Medicines that open the airways (bronchodilators such as albuterol) can help people who have lung diseases such as asthma and emphysema.
Sedation due to medications and other substances can sometimes be reversed by antidotes. People who have severely impaired lung function or breathing for whatever reason may require mechanical ventilation to assist breathing.
Severe illness can also be treated directly when it does not respond to efforts to treat the cause. In such cases, bicarbonate may be administered intravenously. However, baking soda provides only temporary relief and can become harmful – for example, by overloading the body with sodium and water.
