Acidosis: causes, remedies, and prevention

Poor diet and stress are among the greatest risk factors. Monitor your pH level. And which medications can cause acidosis.

acidosis symptoms causes acidity body advice natural remedies 3

It's a classic lifestyle disorder. It's no coincidence that it affects 90 percent of the population, at varying stages, who suffer from it either due to bad habits (such as an excessively sedentary lifestyle) or a poor diet (with too many saturated fats). Acidosis, in fact, is a disorder that occurs when our body develops too much acidity . And when our pH becomes too acidic, the main cause of this disorder is diet. This particularly widespread problem is often caused by a diet rich in animal proteins, junk food, and cooked foods, and lacking in healthy nutrients such as fruits and vegetables.

Cause

It manifests itself with joint pain, insomnia , fluid retention, migraines, constipation, burning mouth, teeth sensitive to vinegar and acidic fruits, abnormal blood pressure, and fatigue that persists even with rest. Other symptoms of acidosis may include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and deeper-than-normal breathing.

The pH balance of our internal cells and fluids, including blood, helps carry out all the processes that occur in our body. Just as our body does everything it can to regulate and maintain body temperature, it will also ensure a slightly alkaline pH in the blood, if necessary, even affecting other tissues and bodily functions. In practice, the pH level of our internal fluids can affect every cell in our body. Therefore, acidity , if left unchecked, will eventually affect all cellular activities and functions . For example, when the body becomes too acidic, in order to maintain a slightly alkaline blood pH, it will seek out and use calcium wherever it can get it, primarily from the bones. The most direct consequence of this situation is osteoporosis . The same thing happens when the body decides to expel acidity through the skin, resulting in acne, eczema, boils, irritation, and so on.

Possible causes of acidosis, in addition to poor diet, also include stress, fever, obesity, emotions and moods such as anger and fear, the use of certain medications such as aspirin, and possible kidney and liver problems.

Poorly functioning kidneys, for example, are no longer able to eliminate acids through urine, resulting in acidity. Another factor that should be considered among the causes of acidosis is poor breathing : slowing down, in this case, can be caused by alcohol and drugs, or even by the excessive use of sedatives and sleeping pills. Breathing slows, the oxygen level in the blood drops too low, and the lungs are unable to adequately eliminate the carbon dioxide that has accumulated within them.

Symptoms

The symptoms of acidosis are quite obvious. In particular:
  • A feeling of chronic tiredness
  • Gastric discomfort and problems
  • Irritability
  • Pain or discomfort in bones and joints
  • Hyperventilation
  • Deep, fast, and agitated breathing
  • Nausea and vomit

Types of acidosis

Prevention begins with a distinction between two forms of acidosis: diabetic and lactic. In the first case, certain substances, such as ketones and acids, accumulate in the body. In the second case, the accumulation involves lactic acid. For diabetic acidosis, it is important to protect the kidneys and lungs. For lactic acidosis, prevention involves diet: reducing or eliminating alcohol and fried foods. In both cases, regular physical activity is beneficial.

Metabolic acidosis

Metabolic acidosis can be of three types.
  • Diabetic acidosis. It is one of the collateral consequences of diabetes and insulin deficiency. In practice, ketones or acids accumulate in excessive proportions.
  • Hyperchloremic acidosis. This type of acidosis is caused by excessive bicarbonate loss.
  • Lactic acidosis. This is an excessive accumulation of lactic acid.

Acidosis respiratory

The acidosis Respiratory insufficiency, in turn, leads to a decrease in respiratory rate or volume (hypoventilation). Blood pH becomes too low (i.e., the blood becomes too acidic) due to a buildup of carbon dioxide (CO₂). This happens when the lungs are unable to remove enough CO₂ from the body, which combines with water in the blood to form carbonic acid, thus lowering the pH.
The acidosis Respiratory distress can occur, for example, as a result of airway obstruction caused by conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic lung disease. It can also occur as a result of the use of sedatives or anesthetics.

Diagnosis

To determine whether the fluids in our body are too acidic or too alkaline, you can do a simple test either before meals or an hour after. Simply purchase some nitrazine paper and apply saliva or urine to it. The paper turns blue in the presence of alkaline fluid, while the blue paper turns red in the presence of acid. The ideal pH for saliva and urine is between 6,0 and 6,8. Our bodies are naturally somewhat acidic: this means that values ​​below a pH of 6,3 should be considered too acidic, while those above a pH of 6,8 are too alkaline.

If your body is too acidic, it's best to consume alkaline foods such as apricots, oranges, avocados, lemons, corn, melons, and honey. If your body's pH is too alkaline, consume acidic foods such as asparagus , cocoa, coffee, chickpeas, milk, legumes, peppers, fish, eggs, and sugar.

Natural remedies

An interesting and specific natural therapy for acidosis can be found in a book entitled " Anti-Acidosis Therapy ," written by Barbara Simonsohn for Edizioni il Punto d'Incontro. The book proposes a natural approach with effective strategies such as fasting, connective tissue massage, an alkalizing diet, body wraps, and stress reduction, to restore an active, happy, and harmonious life. In general, to address the problem, it's best to follow these simple tips:

  • The first natural remedy against acidosis is a healthy and balanced diet. Avoid the consumption of fast food and cooked and processed foods that become acidic once ingested;
  • Avoid the consumption of fatty foods;
  • Reduce also the quantity of beef and pork;
  • Check the pH in your urine using the test we told you about;
  • Seek to have a correct and healthy lifestyle: do physical activity regularly and learn to breathe deeply;
  • In some cases, you can try the Sodium bicarbonate to neutralize blood acidity, especially if blood pH is too low. In patients with diabetes, particularly those with acidosis ketoacidosis (DKA), insulin is essential to reduce the production of ketone bodies, which are acidic and cause acidosis. Insulin also lowers blood sugar levels.
  • Do physical activity, regularly, starting with a walk of at least half an hour a day.
  • Yoga too It can help against acidosis.
  • Take purifying herbal teas Made with dandelion, nettle, horsetail, and fennel. They support the liver and kidneys, promoting the elimination of acidic waste.

Anti-acidosis therapy

Foods that help against acidosis

Some foods in particular can be effective against acidosis. These include:
  • Fresh fruits and vegetables: particularly useful are avocado, pineapple, cucumber, spinach, lemons (yes, even though they are acidic, they have an alkalizing effect on the body).
  • Aromatic herbs and spices: such as basil, parsley and turmeric.
  • Algae: spirulina, chlorella.
Conversely, foods that are not recommended for people who are prone to acidosis include coffee, refined sugars, and alcohol.

Alkaline water with lemon against acidosis

To naturally combat acidosis, an excellent combination is alkaline water with lemon.
With this preparation:
  • Add some lemon juice or a pinch of sodium bicarbonate (half a teaspoon) in a glass of water, and drink the simple and natural preparation once a day, away from meals.
  • Use this preparation with extreme caution if you have stomach or kidney problems:  only for short periods and under medical supervision.

Prevention

Based on the cause, acidosis is classified into two categories, for which specific preventive measures exist: metabolic and respiratory. Metabolic acidosis develops when the amount of acid increases due to a substance that may be an acid or broken down into an acid. A drug can also cause metabolic acidosis. The key prevention in this case involves diet, and it is important to monitor and protect the proper functioning of the ReindeerRespiratory acidosis, on the other hand, develops when the lungs are unable to expel carbon dioxide properly: in this case, the best prevention involves physical exercise and breathing.
If your acidosis is caused by the use of certain medications, talk to your doctor and he or she may be able to find alternative therapies to eliminate the sources of the disorder.
In case of pathologies that increase the risk of acidosis, it is useful to regularly monitor blood pH and acid-base balance through blood tests, such as a blood gas meter.

Gaviscon and acidosis

If acidosis causes heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux, the most suitable medicine may be GavisconBut it should be taken with caution, after consulting your doctor, and with awareness of the possible contraindications.

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