The circulatory system of the
human body comprises of three essential components; blood vessels, blood, and
the heart. The circulatory system plays a vital role in keeping the body
healthy, as it is responsible for transporting nutrients, oxygen, and cells
from one place to another. Having emphasized the importance of the circulatory
system, one can only imagine when it is affected adversely one way or the
other. The functions of this system are hindered when our blood’s acidic level
increases. This disruption is mainly caused by chemical imbalances taking place
in our body.
Causes of Blood Acidity
The acidity of our blood is
measured by determining its pH level. If the pH level is low, then the blood
acidity is very high, however, if the pH value is high then the blood nature is
tilting towards basic. The ideal pH value of our blood should be around 7.4.
A lot of the processes of our
body produce acid, and our kidneys and lungs are able to compensate slight
imbalances of pH levels. But any problems with these organs lead to the
condition of acidosis.Respiratory Acidosis
This is the result of excess C02
deposits in the body. (Dorman, Sullivan, & Pitts, 1953) Normally it is the
function of our lungs to get rid of the excess level of C02 as we breathe, but
sometimes our body fails in doing so due to one of the following reasons:
- Breathing difficulty due to obesity
- Weakening of the chest muscles
- Chronic conditions such as asthma
- Overuse of alcohol or misuse of sedatives
- Any injury to the chest
- Structural deformation of the chest
- Issues with the nervous system
Metabolic Acidosis
This type of acidosis forms in
the kidneys instead of the lungs. Normally it is caused by excessive emission
of base or when the kidneys aren’t able to rid the body of enough acid.
Metabolic acidosis has three types, namely:
- The first kind is the Diabetic acidosis which develops in people who have not managed their diabetes well. This results in the development of ketones in the body which acidify our blood.
- The loss of sodium bicarbonate results in Hyperchloremic acidosis. The essential function of this base is to keep the blood at a neutral level.
- The development of an excess amount of Lactic acid leads to Lactic acidosis.
There are a number of other
factors which contribute towards metabolic acidosis, such as:
·
Kidney failure
·
Consuming a diet which is high on fat and low
carbohydrates
·
Poisoning caused by methanol or aspirin
·
Dehydration
Negative Effects of Acidosis on the Body
Acidic blood or acidosis has a
highly negative impact on your health. Acidosis is toxic for your system and
will reduce the functioning ability of your organs and cells. Impaired cells
can weaken the immune system, making it hard for your body to combat virus and
bacteria. This will increase your likelihood of contracting diseases.
Moreover, when cells are unable
to carry oxygen through the blood, they will not be able to utilize the
nutrients effectively and therefore, will make you feel fatigued, less
energetic and weak. This condition will give rise to several health problems as
well. (Schwalfenberg, 2011)
How to Prevent This?
If you want to prevent the
development of this condition, then you need to avoid drinking carbonated
drinks and stop eating junk food. Apart from this, you will also benefit from
increasing the intake of alkaline foods like organic and fresh vegetables and
fruits.
Bibliography
Dorman, P. J., Sullivan, W. J., & Pitts, R. F.
(1953). THE RENAL RESPONSE TO ACUTE RESPIRATORY ACIDOSIS. U.S. National
Library of Medicine . http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1073534/pdf/jcinvest00738-0092.pdf
Schwalfenberg, G. K. (2011). The Alkaline Diet: Is There Evidence That
an Alkaline pH Diet Benefits Health? U.S. National Library of Medicine
. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3195546/
