### Understanding Your Acid-Base Balance and Its Impact on Health Your body needs to maintain a precise balance of acidity and alkalinity to function properly. This balance is measured using the pH scale, which ranges from 0 (very acidic) to 14 (very alkaline). The normal pH range for blood is between 7.35 and 7.45. #### Key Systems Involved: 1. **Lungs:** Your brain controls your breathing rate and depth, which helps regulate the amount of carbon dioxide you exhale. Faster and deeper breathing increases blood pH by removing more carbon dioxide. 2. **Kidneys:** Your kidneys can remove excess acids or bases from your blood, but this process takes hours or days. 3. **Chemical Buffers:** Your body has built-in weak acids and bases that help adjust the proportions of acids and bases in your body. #### Types of Imbalances: - **Acidosis:** When your blood has too much acid. This can be respiratory (due to lung issues) or metabolic (due to excess acid production or poor acid removal). - **Alkalosis:** When your blood is too alkaline. This can also be respiratory (due to hyperventilation) or metabolic (due to loss of acids or excess base). #### Symptoms and Diagnosis: - **Acidosis Symptoms:** Weakness, drowsiness, confusion, heart problems, and low blood pressure. Severe cases can lead to coma or death. - **Alkalosis Symptoms:** May include muscle twitching, hand tremor, and light-headedness. Sometimes, there are no symptoms. #### Diagnosis and Treatment: - Blood tests are used to measure pH and carbon dioxide levels. For acidosis, bicarbonate levels may also be measured. For alkalosis, electrolyte levels in blood and urine are checked. - Treatment focuses on addressing the underlying cause. For example, treating Type 1 diabetes for metabolic acidosis or improving lung function for respiratory acidosis. Maintaining a proper acid-base balance is crucial for overall health, and any significant changes should be evaluated by a healthcare professional.