Acid-base balance for the electrolytes in our bodies is very important for maintaining homeostasis. If our acid-base balance is disturbed and gets higher or lower, conditions take over for our bodies to bounce back from. Normal pH balance for adults is between 7.35-7.45 in arterial blood. If a change in blood pH becomes higher or lower, it leads to acidosis or alkalosis. Here will be discussing two types: respiratory acidosis and alkalosis and metabolic acidosis and alkalosis.
Respiratory acidosis, or respiratory failure, occurs when the lungs cannot produce enough CO2, which causes blood pH to drop below 7.35 and PCO2, or partial pressure of carbon dioxide, is increased above 45 mmHg. Some causes for respiratory acidosis include airway obstruction, emphysema, pulmonary edema, and other chronic or acute lung disorders. If respiratory problems are not too extreme then the kidneys will help out with raising the blood pH by excreting H+ and reabsorbing HCO3-, this is called renal compensation. Treatments for respiratory acidosis involve treating the underlying condition such as antibiotics for infections, diuretics to reduce blood pressure, bronchodilators to expand airways for COPD or asthma, or medical ventilation in severe cases (Weatherspoon, 2015). …show more content…
One of these being off key makes the body respond in different manners. Your blood pH becoming too low causes the body to start breathing more, which will make you release more CO2 bringing the pH back to normal. The same applies when your pH becomes too high, just reversed. We also have buffer systems that help control our blood pH which help in sudden shifts towards acidity or alkalinity. Two of the important buffer systems include the carbonic acid buffer system where a weak acid is formed from carbon dioxide dissolved in blood and the bicarbonate ion buffer system that corresponds with a weak
Respiratory acidosis, or respiratory failure, occurs when the lungs cannot produce enough CO2, which causes blood pH to drop below 7.35 and PCO2, or partial pressure of carbon dioxide, is increased above 45 mmHg. Some causes for respiratory acidosis include airway obstruction, emphysema, pulmonary edema, and other chronic or acute lung disorders. If respiratory problems are not too extreme then the kidneys will help out with raising the blood pH by excreting H+ and reabsorbing HCO3-, this is called renal compensation. Treatments for respiratory acidosis involve treating the underlying condition such as antibiotics for infections, diuretics to reduce blood pressure, bronchodilators to expand airways for COPD or asthma, or medical ventilation in severe cases (Weatherspoon, 2015). …show more content…
One of these being off key makes the body respond in different manners. Your blood pH becoming too low causes the body to start breathing more, which will make you release more CO2 bringing the pH back to normal. The same applies when your pH becomes too high, just reversed. We also have buffer systems that help control our blood pH which help in sudden shifts towards acidity or alkalinity. Two of the important buffer systems include the carbonic acid buffer system where a weak acid is formed from carbon dioxide dissolved in blood and the bicarbonate ion buffer system that corresponds with a weak