BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuRespiratory acidosisVentilatory failure; Respiratory failure; Acidosis - respiratoryRespiratory acidosis is a condition that occurs when your lungs can't remove all of the carbon dioxide produced by your body. This causes the blood and other body fluids to become too acidic. Causes There are many causes of respiratory acidosis, including: Airway diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) AsthmaAsthma is a chronic disease that causes the airways of the lungs to swell and become narrow. It leads to breathing difficulty such as wheezing, shor...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common lung disease. Having COPD makes it hard to breathe. There are two main forms of COPD:Chroni...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Diseases that can affect the chest, such as scoliosis ScoliosisScoliosis is an abnormal curving of the spine. Your spine is your backbone. It runs straight down your back. Everyone's spine naturally curves a b...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Diseases that affect the nerves and muscles that signal the lungs to inflate or deflate Medicines that suppress breathing, including narcotics (opioids), and "downers," such as benzodiazepines, often when combined with each other or alcohol Severe obesity, which restricts how much the lungs can expand Obstructive sleep apnea can cause respiratory acidosis while you are asleepObstructive sleep apneaObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a problem in which your breathing pauses during sleep. This occurs because of narrowed or blocked airways.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Chronic respiratory acidosis occurs over a long time. This leads to a stable situation, because the kidneys increase body chemicals, such as bicarbonate, that help restore the body's acid-base balance.Acute respiratory acidosis occurs when carbon dioxide builds up very quickly, before the kidneys can return the body to a state of balance.Some people with chronic respiratory acidosis get acute respiratory acidosis when a serious illness worsens their condition and disrupts their body's acid-base balance. Symptoms Symptoms may include:Confusion ConfusionConfusion is the inability to think as clearly or quickly as you normally do. You may feel disoriented and have difficulty paying attention, remembe...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Anxiety Easy fatigue Lethargy Shortness of breath Sleepiness Tremors (shaking) TremorsA tremor is a type of shaking movement. A tremor is most often noticed in the hands and arms. It may affect any body part, including the head, tong...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Warm and flushed skin Sweating Exams and Tests Your health care provider will perform a physical exam and ask about symptoms.You may have certain tests, including:Arterial blood gas (measures oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood) Blood gasBlood gases are a measurement of how much oxygen and carbon dioxide are in your blood. They also determine the acidity (pH) of your blood.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Basic metabolic panel Basic metabolic panelThe basic metabolic panel is a group of blood tests that provides information about your body's metabolism.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Chest x-ray Chest x-rayA chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article CT scan of the chest CT scan of the chestA chest CT (computed tomography) scan is an imaging method that uses x-rays to create cross-sectional pictures of the chest and upper abdomen....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Pulmonary function test to measure breathing and how well the lungs are functioning Pulmonary function testPulmonary function tests are a group of tests that measure breathing and how well the lungs are functioning.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram)EchocardiogramAn echocardiogram is a test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the heart. The picture and information it produces is more detailed than a s...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment Treatment is aimed at the underlying disease, and may include:Bronchodilator medicines and corticosteroids to reverse some types of airway obstruction Noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation (called CPAP or BiPAP) CPAP or BiPAPPositive airway pressure (PAP) treatment uses a machine to pump air under pressure into the airway of the lungs. This helps keep the windpipe open d...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Oxygen if your blood oxygen level is low Treatment to stop smoking. Stop smokingThere are many ways to quit smoking. There are also resources to help you. Family members, friends, and co-workers may be supportive. But to be su...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Changing medicines when appropriateIf your case is severe, you may need to be put on a breathing machine (ventilator). Outlook (Prognosis) How well you do depends on the disease causing the respiratory acidosis. Possible Complications Complications may include:Poor organ function Respiratory failure ShockShockShock is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body is not getting enough blood flow. Lack of blood flow means the cells and organs do n...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article When to Contact a Medical Professional Severe acute respiratory acidosis is a medical emergency. Seek medical help right away if you have symptoms of this condition.Call your provider if you have symptoms of lung disease that suddenly get worse. Prevention Do not smoke. Smoking can lead to many severe lung diseases that can cause respiratory acidosis.Losing weight may help prevent respiratory acidosis due to obesity (obesity-hypoventilation syndrome).Be careful about taking sedating medicines, and never combine these medicines with alcohol.Use your CPAP device regularly if it has been prescribed for you.Open ReferencesReferencesMcCoin NS, Self WH. Acid-base disorders. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 113.Sanghavi S, Albert TJ, Swenson ER. Acid-base balance. In: Broaddus VC, Ernst JD, King TE, et al, eds. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 12.Seifter JL. Acid-base disorders. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 104.AllVideoImagesTogRespiratory system - illustration Air is breathed in through the nasal passageways, travels through the trachea and bronchi to the lungs.Respiratory systemillustrationRespiratory system - illustration Air is breathed in through the nasal passageways, travels through the trachea and bronchi to the lungs.Respiratory systemillustrationRelated Information Asthma(Condition)Breathing difficulty(Symptoms)Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS)(Condition)Asthma in adults - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 8/19/2024 Reviewed By: Allen J. Blaivas, DO, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, VA New Jersey Health Care System, Clinical Assistant Professor, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, East Orange, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Respiratory acidosisVentilatory failure; Respiratory failure; Acidosis - respiratoryRespiratory acidosis is a condition that occurs when your lungs can't remove all of the carbon dioxide produced by your body. This causes the blood and other body fluids to become too acidic. Causes There are many causes of respiratory acidosis, including: Airway diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) AsthmaAsthma is a chronic disease that causes the airways of the lungs to swell and become narrow. It leads to breathing difficulty such as wheezing, shor...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common lung disease. Having COPD makes it hard to breathe. There are two main forms of COPD:Chroni...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Diseases that can affect the chest, such as scoliosis ScoliosisScoliosis is an abnormal curving of the spine. Your spine is your backbone. It runs straight down your back. Everyone's spine naturally curves a b...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Diseases that affect the nerves and muscles that signal the lungs to inflate or deflate Medicines that suppress breathing, including narcotics (opioids), and "downers," such as benzodiazepines, often when combined with each other or alcohol Severe obesity, which restricts how much the lungs can expand Obstructive sleep apnea can cause respiratory acidosis while you are asleepObstructive sleep apneaObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a problem in which your breathing pauses during sleep. This occurs because of narrowed or blocked airways.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Chronic respiratory acidosis occurs over a long time. This leads to a stable situation, because the kidneys increase body chemicals, such as bicarbonate, that help restore the body's acid-base balance.Acute respiratory acidosis occurs when carbon dioxide builds up very quickly, before the kidneys can return the body to a state of balance.Some people with chronic respiratory acidosis get acute respiratory acidosis when a serious illness worsens their condition and disrupts their body's acid-base balance. Symptoms Symptoms may include:Confusion ConfusionConfusion is the inability to think as clearly or quickly as you normally do. You may feel disoriented and have difficulty paying attention, remembe...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Anxiety Easy fatigue Lethargy Shortness of breath Sleepiness Tremors (shaking) TremorsA tremor is a type of shaking movement. A tremor is most often noticed in the hands and arms. It may affect any body part, including the head, tong...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Warm and flushed skin Sweating Exams and Tests Your health care provider will perform a physical exam and ask about symptoms.You may have certain tests, including:Arterial blood gas (measures oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood) Blood gasBlood gases are a measurement of how much oxygen and carbon dioxide are in your blood. They also determine the acidity (pH) of your blood.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Basic metabolic panel Basic metabolic panelThe basic metabolic panel is a group of blood tests that provides information about your body's metabolism.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Chest x-ray Chest x-rayA chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article CT scan of the chest CT scan of the chestA chest CT (computed tomography) scan is an imaging method that uses x-rays to create cross-sectional pictures of the chest and upper abdomen....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Pulmonary function test to measure breathing and how well the lungs are functioning Pulmonary function testPulmonary function tests are a group of tests that measure breathing and how well the lungs are functioning.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram)EchocardiogramAn echocardiogram is a test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the heart. The picture and information it produces is more detailed than a s...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment Treatment is aimed at the underlying disease, and may include:Bronchodilator medicines and corticosteroids to reverse some types of airway obstruction Noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation (called CPAP or BiPAP) CPAP or BiPAPPositive airway pressure (PAP) treatment uses a machine to pump air under pressure into the airway of the lungs. This helps keep the windpipe open d...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Oxygen if your blood oxygen level is low Treatment to stop smoking. Stop smokingThere are many ways to quit smoking. There are also resources to help you. Family members, friends, and co-workers may be supportive. But to be su...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Changing medicines when appropriateIf your case is severe, you may need to be put on a breathing machine (ventilator). Outlook (Prognosis) How well you do depends on the disease causing the respiratory acidosis. Possible Complications Complications may include:Poor organ function Respiratory failure ShockShockShock is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body is not getting enough blood flow. Lack of blood flow means the cells and organs do n...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article When to Contact a Medical Professional Severe acute respiratory acidosis is a medical emergency. Seek medical help right away if you have symptoms of this condition.Call your provider if you have symptoms of lung disease that suddenly get worse. Prevention Do not smoke. Smoking can lead to many severe lung diseases that can cause respiratory acidosis.Losing weight may help prevent respiratory acidosis due to obesity (obesity-hypoventilation syndrome).Be careful about taking sedating medicines, and never combine these medicines with alcohol.Use your CPAP device regularly if it has been prescribed for you.Open ReferencesReferencesMcCoin NS, Self WH. Acid-base disorders. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 113.Sanghavi S, Albert TJ, Swenson ER. Acid-base balance. In: Broaddus VC, Ernst JD, King TE, et al, eds. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 12.Seifter JL. Acid-base disorders. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 104.
