What Is Chronic Acidosis?

Acidosis is a condition in which there is too much acid in the body. It can be termed as respiratory acidosis or metabolic acidosis and can sometimes become chronic acidosis. This is when the condition is long lasting, typically for more than three months at a time. There are many underlying causes for acidosis and some of these can include cholera, chemical poisoning, leukemia and diabetes. Treatment often depends on the particular underlying cause but some of the treatments can include oral and intravenous fluids, bronchodilators and sodium bicarbonate to lower levels of acid in the blood.

The respiratory form of acidosis occurs when there are excessive amounts of carbon dioxide in the body due to the inability to scrub it out through breathing. This can be caused by conditions stemming from injuries to the chest, lung disease, and the use of drugs that have sedative effects. Metabolic acidosis is when the kidneys are unable to properly remove acid from the body. Some of the underlying causes of this form of acidosis include diabetes, alcohol usage, low blood sugar, cancer and excessive loss of sodium bicarbonate from the body. Aspirin poisoning and dehydration have also been known to cause chronic acidosis to develop.

Chronic acidosis may also be brought on by constant exposure to an acidic environment. There are many potential symptoms that can occur and some of these are muscular weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, increased heart rate and breathing difficulties. If the body’s acid pH is out of balance, it will attempt to fight back against the acid to stop it from damaging the internal organs. Some of the conditions that may develop from chronic acidosis could include gaining weight, osteoporosis, arthritis, chronic fatigue and even heart attack. Microbes are able to grow more easily in the respiratory system if the body’s acid is out of balance and as a result colds, infections and bronchitis can occur with increased frequency.

Physicians may check for chronic acidosis by performing blood gas analysis and testing electrolytes and urine pH balance. Once it has been established if the acidosis is respiratory of metabolic, then the treatment options become clearer. Many patients respond favorably to treatment, however, if left untreated, the condition can have serious consequences. People that maintain a healthy lifestyle and have healthy lungs and kidneys tend not to suffer from acidosis to any serious degree; however, others may develop chronic acidosis due to an underlying disease.