Respiratory Acidosis is a medical condition , in which excessive acidity in the blood is resulted from carbon dioxide buildup in the person’s blood as a result of slow breathing or poor lung function.

The breathing depth and speed controls the blood carbon dioxide amount. Usually, when carbon dioxide builds up, the blood pH falls and blood becomes acidic. Blood’s carbon dioxide high levels stimulate the areas of the person’s brain that is regulating breathing, which in turn stimulate deeper and faster breathing. Respiratory Acidosis progresses when the lung does not expel carbon dioxide properly. This may occur in diseases that seriously affect the lungs, such as asthma, emphysema, pulmonary edema, severe pneumonia, and chronic bronchitis.

Respiratory Acidosis may also progress when the muscles of the chest or nerves diseases impair breathing mechanics. Additionally, an individual may progress this condition if overly sedated from strong sleeping drugs and narcotics that slows respiration.

The early symptoms can be drowsiness and headache. If Respiratory Acidosis becomes worse, drowsiness can progress to stupor and coma. Coma and stupor may progress within moments if breathing  stops or extremely impaired; or over hours if breathing is less seriously impaired. The person’s kidney tries to compensate for the acidosis by retaining bicarbonates, but such process takes many days or hours.

Usually, Respiratory Acidosis diagnosis consists of pH blood measurements and obtaining carbon dioxide sample from the artery. The treatment of Respiratory Acidosis consists of improving lung’s function. Medication to improve breathing can help individuals with Emphysema and Asthma diseases. Individuals with severely impaired lung’s function, may require respiration with a mechanical ventilators.

This entry was filed under Diseases and Conditions.

Tags: acidity, blood ph, carbon dioxide buildup, lung function, lungs, medical condition, pulmonary edema, respiration, respiratory acidosis, stupor