Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesRisk FactorsComplicationsDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Risk Factors
Complications
Diagnosis
Treatment
Maintaining a healthy acidic balance is crucial for homeostasis—the acid-base balance your body needs for optimal health and function. However, certain health conditions, prescription medications, and dietary factors can disrupt this balance and either result inacidosis(when there’s too much acid content in your blood) oralkalosis(when alkali, or base, levels are too high).
The kidneys and lungs are responsible for maintaining your body’s pH balance. When acidosis occurs, your kidneys and lungs work harder to rid the body of the extra acid, putting you at risk of serious health problems.Most cases are reversible, but severe and untreated acidosis can become fatal.
This article discusses various types of acidosis and its causes, symptoms, and complications. You’ll Learn how healthcare providers treat this condition.
What Causes Acidosis?
In addition, genetic diseases, certain eating patterns, and medications can also cause acidosis.
Metabolic Acidosis
Metabolic acidosis occurs when the body produces too many acids or when the kidneys can’t adequately remove them. A wide range of conditions cause metabolic acidosis, including:
Commonly associated symptoms include:
Renal Tubular Acidosis
Kidney dysfunction causesrenal tubular acidosis(RTA), a potentially fatal type of metabolic acidosis. RTA is an inherited condition that can arise independently or alongside a wide range of other conditions, such as :
Common signs of RTA include irregular heartbeat, muscle weakness, and paralysis (inability to move).
Respiratory Acidosis
A range of respiratory conditions can lead to respiratory acidosis, including:
Common signs of respiratory acidosis include:
Diet-Induced Acidosis
Diets high in fat and low in carbohydrates—such as the keto diet—can raise acidity in the body, increasing the odds of developing acidosis.Diet-induced acidosis can result from consuming too many acidic foods or too few alkaline foods, as follows:
When severe, diet-induced acidosis can affect bones and muscles and contribute to chronic kidney disease. Even milder cases, if chronic, can cause kidney damage.
Drug-Induced Acidosis
Certain medications can affect the balance of acids and bases in your body and contribute to acidosis in the following ways:
What Is the Alkaline Diet?
Risk Factors for Acidosis
Since the lungs and kidneys regulate acidity, certain conditions and lifestyle habits that impact these organs increase your chances of developing acidosis. Factors that raise your risk of developing this condition include:
Severe acidosis can cause serious complications and become fatal, especially if untreated. Complications arise as elevated acid levels start to damage tissues and organs; these include:
The outlook for acidosis depends on its severity and the underlying cause. While untreated or very severe forms of this condition can be fatal, if properly diagnosed, many people can effectively manage their condition. In some cases, mild acidosis may not require medical intervention.
How Is Acidosis Diagnosed?
Identifying the underlying cause of acidosis is essential for managing it. Healthcare providers diagnose the condition using physical exams, blood tests, and other procedures.
Treatment and Management of Acidosis
Treatments for acidosis depend primarily on type and involve addressing the underlying cause of the condition. Medications, medical procedures, and lifestyle factors play a role in how a healthcare provider recommends managing the conditions.
Metabolic or Renal Tubular Acidosis
Treatments focused on restoring pH balance for metabolic and renal tubular acidosis may include the following:
Strategies to prevent metabolic acidosis include managing excess weight, limiting alcohol, ensuring you’re hydrated, and treating diabetes.
A range of therapies help treat respiratory acidosis, including:
Changing what you eat is central to managing diet-induced acidosis; your healthcare provider may recommend working with a dietitian to develop an eating plan. The object is to reduce foods that boost acidity and increase those that add alkali content. An acidosis-managing diet would involve eating more vegetables, fruit, and plant proteins. It also recommends reducing your daily intake of meat, egg yolks, and grains.
Summary
Acidosis occurs when acids build up in the body, disrupting the blood’s pH balance. This can damage organs and lead to serious complications. Among many causes of higher acidity are kidney disease, lung diseases, medications, cancer, and certain diets. If untreated, severe cases of acidosis can cause shock or become fatal.
Treatments for acidosis focus on managing the underlying cause. Healthcare providers treat this condition with medications, oxygen therapy, and IV fluids. In addition, lifestyle changes, like stopping alcohol or eating more fruits and vegetables, can help.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Acidosis.MedlinePlus.Metabolic acidosis.Jung B, Martinez M, Claessens YE, et al.Diagnosis and management of metabolic acidosis: guidelines from a French expert panel.Ann Intensive Care. 2019;9(1):92. doi:10.1186/s13613-019-0563-2National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Renal tubular acidosis.MedlinePlus.Respiratory acidosis.Palmer BF, Clegg DJ.Respiratory acidosis and respiratory alkalosis: core curriculum 2023.Am J Kidney Dis. 2023;82(3):347-359. doi:10.1053/j.ajkd.2023.02.004Ward K E, Ramsay J, Vu B.A case of severe metabolic acidosis in the setting of a strict ketogenic diet.Cureus.2023;15(5):e38741. doi:10.7759/cureus.38741Goraya N, Wesson DE.Pathophysiology of diet-induced acid stress.IJMS. 2024;25(4):2336. doi:10.3390/ijms25042336Pham AQ, Xu LH, Moe OW.Drug-induced metabolic acidosis.F1000Res. 2015;4:F1000 Faculty Rev-1460. doi:10.12688/f1000research.7006.1.Lambert DC, Abramowitz MK.Obesity, anion accumulation, and anion gap metabolic acidosis: a cohort study.Kidney360. 2021;2(11):1706-1715. doi:10.34067/KID.0003562021Siener R.Dietary treatment of metabolic acidosis in chronic kidney disease.Nutrients. 2018;10(4):512. doi:10.3390/nu10040512
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Acidosis.MedlinePlus.Metabolic acidosis.Jung B, Martinez M, Claessens YE, et al.Diagnosis and management of metabolic acidosis: guidelines from a French expert panel.Ann Intensive Care. 2019;9(1):92. doi:10.1186/s13613-019-0563-2National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Renal tubular acidosis.MedlinePlus.Respiratory acidosis.Palmer BF, Clegg DJ.Respiratory acidosis and respiratory alkalosis: core curriculum 2023.Am J Kidney Dis. 2023;82(3):347-359. doi:10.1053/j.ajkd.2023.02.004Ward K E, Ramsay J, Vu B.A case of severe metabolic acidosis in the setting of a strict ketogenic diet.Cureus.2023;15(5):e38741. doi:10.7759/cureus.38741Goraya N, Wesson DE.Pathophysiology of diet-induced acid stress.IJMS. 2024;25(4):2336. doi:10.3390/ijms25042336Pham AQ, Xu LH, Moe OW.Drug-induced metabolic acidosis.F1000Res. 2015;4:F1000 Faculty Rev-1460. doi:10.12688/f1000research.7006.1.Lambert DC, Abramowitz MK.Obesity, anion accumulation, and anion gap metabolic acidosis: a cohort study.Kidney360. 2021;2(11):1706-1715. doi:10.34067/KID.0003562021Siener R.Dietary treatment of metabolic acidosis in chronic kidney disease.Nutrients. 2018;10(4):512. doi:10.3390/nu10040512
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Acidosis.MedlinePlus.Metabolic acidosis.Jung B, Martinez M, Claessens YE, et al.Diagnosis and management of metabolic acidosis: guidelines from a French expert panel.Ann Intensive Care. 2019;9(1):92. doi:10.1186/s13613-019-0563-2National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Renal tubular acidosis.MedlinePlus.Respiratory acidosis.Palmer BF, Clegg DJ.Respiratory acidosis and respiratory alkalosis: core curriculum 2023.Am J Kidney Dis. 2023;82(3):347-359. doi:10.1053/j.ajkd.2023.02.004Ward K E, Ramsay J, Vu B.A case of severe metabolic acidosis in the setting of a strict ketogenic diet.Cureus.2023;15(5):e38741. doi:10.7759/cureus.38741Goraya N, Wesson DE.Pathophysiology of diet-induced acid stress.IJMS. 2024;25(4):2336. doi:10.3390/ijms25042336Pham AQ, Xu LH, Moe OW.Drug-induced metabolic acidosis.F1000Res. 2015;4:F1000 Faculty Rev-1460. doi:10.12688/f1000research.7006.1.Lambert DC, Abramowitz MK.Obesity, anion accumulation, and anion gap metabolic acidosis: a cohort study.Kidney360. 2021;2(11):1706-1715. doi:10.34067/KID.0003562021Siener R.Dietary treatment of metabolic acidosis in chronic kidney disease.Nutrients. 2018;10(4):512. doi:10.3390/nu10040512
MedlinePlus.Acidosis.
MedlinePlus.Metabolic acidosis.
Jung B, Martinez M, Claessens YE, et al.Diagnosis and management of metabolic acidosis: guidelines from a French expert panel.Ann Intensive Care. 2019;9(1):92. doi:10.1186/s13613-019-0563-2
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Renal tubular acidosis.
MedlinePlus.Respiratory acidosis.
Palmer BF, Clegg DJ.Respiratory acidosis and respiratory alkalosis: core curriculum 2023.Am J Kidney Dis. 2023;82(3):347-359. doi:10.1053/j.ajkd.2023.02.004
Ward K E, Ramsay J, Vu B.A case of severe metabolic acidosis in the setting of a strict ketogenic diet.Cureus.2023;15(5):e38741. doi:10.7759/cureus.38741
Goraya N, Wesson DE.Pathophysiology of diet-induced acid stress.IJMS. 2024;25(4):2336. doi:10.3390/ijms25042336
Pham AQ, Xu LH, Moe OW.Drug-induced metabolic acidosis.F1000Res. 2015;4:F1000 Faculty Rev-1460. doi:10.12688/f1000research.7006.1.
Lambert DC, Abramowitz MK.Obesity, anion accumulation, and anion gap metabolic acidosis: a cohort study.Kidney360. 2021;2(11):1706-1715. doi:10.34067/KID.0003562021
Siener R.Dietary treatment of metabolic acidosis in chronic kidney disease.Nutrients. 2018;10(4):512. doi:10.3390/nu10040512
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