What does low arterial pH mean?

A lower pH means that your blood is more acidic, while a higher pH means that your blood is more basic. The pH of your blood should be around 7.4. According to the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), acidosis is characterized by a pH of 7.35 or lower.

Why would arterial pH be low?

When your lungs aren’t able to move enough carbon dioxide out of your body quickly enough, blood pH is lowered. This is called respiratory acidosis. This can happen if you have a serious or chronic lung condition, such as: asthma or an asthma attack.

How does arterial pH affect respiration?

The blood carries carbon dioxide to the lungs, where it is exhaled. As carbon dioxide accumulates in the blood, the pH of the blood decreases (acidity increases). The brain regulates the amount of carbon dioxide that is exhaled by controlling the speed and depth of breathing (ventilation).

How is arterial pH maintained?

The kidneys regulate the pH of the blood by excreting acids in urine. They also produce and regulate bicarbonate, which increases blood pH. These changes take longer than those that occur due to breathing, potentially taking hours or days.

Which condition is associated with a high arterial blood pH?

These changes can be used to make the diagnosis of respiratory, metabolic or “complex” disorders (Table I). Acidosis is associated with a decreased arterial plasma pH (<7.35) whereas alkalosis is associated with an increased arterial plasma pH (>7.45).

What happens if your body is too acidic?

An acidic pH may result in weight problems such as diabetes and obesity. When our body is too acidic, we suffer from a condition known as Insulin Sensitivity. This forces excessive insulin to be produced. As a result, the body is flooded with so much insulin that it diligently converts every calorie into fat.

What does a blood pH of 7.6 mean?

A metabolic alkalosis will cause a left shift of the oxyhemoglobin curve, reducing oxygen availability to the tissues. If severe (pH > 7.6), may result in encephalopathy, seizures, altered coronary arterial blood flow and decreased cardiac inotropy.