Acidosis diagnosed, what is Acidosis?

G'day,

My ABG results come back and are consistent with lower level acidosis. Does anyone know what this means? Ie how to treat it (still waiting to see the sleep specialist) and what it's symptoms are? I have goggled it but would like to know if anyone can relate it in laymen's terms. I am but a humble electrician!

-Matty

Matty332 wrote:My ABG results come back and are consistent with lower level acidosis. Does anyone know what this means? Ie how to treat it (still waiting to see the sleep specialist) and what it's symptoms are? I have goggled it but would like to know if anyone can relate it in laymen's terms. I am but a humble electrician!

The term refers to having a higher-than-normal level of acidity in the blood. It can have many causes. The one that might be relevant to CPAP is that if someone is not getting adequate gas exchange through the lungs, an excess of carbon dioxide can build up in the blood, which creates a weak acid when dissolved.

I'm no doctor, so I hope a more expert answer comes along eventually.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arterial_blood_gas
There are a ton of reasons why your CO2 partial pressure might be high, lowering your blood pH = acidosis.
I am not an expert but here is my list as I relate it to sleep apnea...
You may not be exchanging oxygen well. Sort of pre COPD, are you a smoker?
Or, on a happier note you may have sleep apnea.
Often with sleep apnea, your body gets used to abnormally high levels of CO2 in the blood because you have not been getting enough oxygen. The resulting increase in CO2 might be the cause of acidosis. Then even after you get your CPAP it may be 6 months to a year for your body to reset its expectations of what is normal. Check out articles at wikipedia with respect to...
The Carotid body is one of three (AFAIK) places your body uses to measure blood oxygen and CO2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotid_body
The Aortic body is another measuring location in the Aortic artery right after it leaves your heart.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aortic_body
Finally there is the medulla oblongata at the base of your brain which both measures and integrates the other two signals and decides if you need to take a breath.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medulla_oblongata

So, takeaway...
This sentence...
"Then even after you get your CPAP it may be 6 months to a year for your body to reset its expectations of what is normal."
...is what the respiratory therapist at my DME told me was typical for somebody starting CPAP/BIPAP/ASV therapy.

Mr Bill wrote:... Finally there is the medulla oblongata at the base of your brain which both measures and integrates the other two signals and decides if you need to take a breath.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medulla_oblongata ...

And if you are really unlucky this part does not work reliably. That's my issue. Even when awake I do not breathe as frequently as I should. Of course, it does not help that I am also overweight, which only makes it harder to breathe.

Mr Bill wrote:... "Then even after you get your CPAP it may be 6 months to a year for your body to reset its expectations of what is normal."
...is what the respiratory therapist at my DME told me was typical for somebody starting CPAP/BIPAP/ASV therapy.

Yup. That's normally what causes the higher CO2 levels. The good news is that for most of us, it will improve in time.

It would be nice to know the rest of the numbers too. Like the oxygen, carbon dioxide, and bicarbonate levels. It really helps figure out why you are acidotic. It can be from a metabolic reason, kidney failure, medications, etc. Respiratory acidosis is mostly because you are hypoventilating for some reason or another. Most likely relating to decreased respiratory rate or ineffective gas exchange.

Jenn