How can emphysema and congestive heart failure can lead to acid base imbalance?

Answer 1

I am too assume you are asking imbalances because normally the body balances acid-base

This is a very complex process.

there are four main types of acid-base imbalance in the body.

Respiratory Acidosis (Low pH)

Metabolic Acidosis (Low pH)

Respiratory Alkalosis (High pH)

Metabolic Alkalosis (High pH)

Respiratory means that the imbalance is caused by the lungs

Metabolic means that the imbalance is caused by the cells in your body

In emphysema {or a form of chronic(long-term) obstructive(blocking) pulmonary(involves the lungs) disease(abnormal condition in body) or COPD}

the lungs cannot properly remove CO2

(oxygen is breathed in, used by cells in your body and the cells release carbon dioxide or CO2 as waste which is breathed out)

Emphysema(COPD) is the destruction of the elastic tissue in the thousands of little are sacs in the lungs. Because the sacs can no longer push the CO2 out of the lungs the CO2 gets trapped and builds up.

when CO2 builds up short term it will caused increased breathing rate (CO2 tells your brain to breath faster when it builds up)

when CO2 builds up long term the blood will compensate through chemically changing the CO2 into other chemicals

CO2 + H2O <--> H2CO3 <--> HCO3- + H+ (equilibrium equation)

Once the CO2 Builds up long term it will cause the above chemical equation to change the CO2 eventually into HCO3- and H+ .

H+ will increase in the blood as more and more carbon dioxide is converted.

pH simply measures the amount of H+ ions in an exponential numbering system

the more the H the lower the number (i know its the opposite of what you would think)

When the pH gets low (or H ions in the blood gets to high) this can cause

Respiratory Acidosis (lung/breathing caused acidic blood)

the body can only operate in a narrow pH range of 7.35-7.45

If the blood goes above or below it can cause serious trouble and eventually put someone into a coma or cause death

people with COPD develop increased CO2 over such a long period of time that the body will slowly become use to the high CO2 in the lungs but the person would still be at risk for this type of imbalance.

Because CO2 tells your brain to make you breath faster (not a lack of oxygen)

people with COPD experience the need to breath faster especially when moving around a lot or exercising more frequently. NEVER EVER should a COPD or emphysema patient receive more than 2L/min (Metric) of oxygen while on oxygen therapy. Increasing the oxygen in the lungs will force CO2 out but this could cause the brain to say "well there is less CO2 so i don't need to breath as much" and this could cause a person's breathing to slow so much that they may stop breathing all together.