How acid-base balance be affected by COPD?
The human body must use different physiological processes to maintain its normal functions. One of them includes maintaining proper acid-base balance Pocock et al., 2018). This is the balance between the elimination and production of hydrogen ions. For the body to function properly, it requires the correct basic and acidic compounds (acid-base balance). Proper acid-base balance is maintained by the lungs and kidneys.
The kidneys ensure proper acid-base balance by generating bicarbonate and excreting hydrogen ions which helps maintain normal blood plasma pH (Pocock et al., 2018). On the other hand, the lungs help maintain proper acid-base balance by excreting carbon dioxide. The normal blood pH. level is around 7.4. When the blood is too alkaline, it is referred to as alkalosis, but it is referred to as acidosis when it’s too acidic. The body may experience metabolic acidosis, respiratory alkalosis, metabolic alkalosis, or respiratory acidosis, when there are changes in the normal blood pH. levels (Pocock et al., 2018).
COPD is a lung disorder that causes airflow obstruction, and as a result, persons affected by the disease may have difficulties in breathing. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease causes ventilation-perfusion due to insufficient gas exchange (Pahal et al., 2018). Patients with COPD may suffer from hypocapnia since they do not have the ability to exhale carbon dioxide efficiently. The carbon dioxide levels may continue to increase, leading to an acid-base imbalance. Increased carbon dioxide as a result of COPD lowers the pH. levels due to increased hydrogen ions (Pahal et al., 2018).
Chronically increased carbon dioxide causes the acid-base balance(normal) to shift towards acidic. Carbon dioxide is retained, which is then hydrated to generate carbonic acid, which is volatile and weak and dissociates fast into bicarbonate and hydrogen ions. As a result, respiratory acidosis occurs, which is marked by a decrease in pH. and an increase in pCO2 (Pahal et al., 2018). As the carbon dioxide levels rise, the body tries to minimize and maintain the pH changes in COPD by starting the compensatory mechanisms. The lungs and kidneys play a significant role in maintaining normal acid-base levels. In COPD, the kidneys try to neutralize the pH. by maintaining the bicarbonate levels (Pahal et al., 2018). Therefore, COPD contributes to respiratory acidosis since patients with COPD do not exhale carbon dioxide completely which causes the normal pH. to shift to acidosis. This makes body fluids particularly the blood to become acidic (Tinawi, 2021).
Other systems that can be affected by acid-base balance
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease affects the acid-base balance by causing the normal pH. to shift to acidosis leading to respiratory acidosis (Pal, 2021). This is a condition that causes too much carbon dioxide accumulation due to the lungs’ inability to excrete CO2 caused by COPD. Respiratory acidosis can affect other body systems negatively due to excess CO2 accumulation in the blood, tissues, and other body fluids. For instance, the central nervous system is one of the systems that can be affected by respiratory acidosis. The brain’s pH. can reduce as a result of chronic or acute respiratory acidosis caused (too much carbon dioxide accumulation) by COPD; as a result, patients may experience stupor, lethargy, muscle jerks, loss of memory, and confusion (Pal, 2021).
It can also affect the cardiovascular system by increasing the heart rate. Respiratory acidosis caused by COPD raises the arterial PCO2, which causes vasodilation. As a result, the heart rate increases to maintain blood pressure. It can also affect blood pressure by causing it to drop rapidly. COPD patients may not exhale all the carbon dioxide efficiently due to airway obstruction and lung damage. The high CO2 concertation in the blood and other body fluids causes acidity; as a result, the blood pressure drops rapidly as a way of compensation (Pal, 2021).
References
Pahal, P., Hashmi, M. F., & Sharma, S. (2018). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) compensatory measure.
Pal, G. K. (2021). Textbook of medical physiology – E-book (4th ed.). Elsevier Health Sciences.
Pocock, G., Richards, C. D., & Richards, D. A. (2018). Human physiology. Oxford University Press.
Tinawi, M. (2021). Respiratory acid-base disorders: Respiratory acidosis and respiratory alkalosis. Archives of Clinical and Biomedical Research, 05(02). https://doi.org/10.26502/acbr.50170157
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