When your body fluids contain too much acid, it’s known as acidosis.

Acidosis occurs when your kidneys and lungs can’t keep your body’s pH in balance. Many of the body’s processes produce acid.

Your
lungs and kidneys can usually compensate for slight pH imbalances, but problems with these organs can lead to excess acid accumulating in your body.

The acidity of your blood is measured by determining its pH. A lower pH means that your blood is more acidic, while a higher pH means that your blood is more basic. The pH of your blood should be around 7.4. According to the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), acidosis is characterized by a pH of 7.35 or lower. Alkalosis is characterized by a pH level of 7.45 or higher. While seemingly slight, these numerical differences can be serious.

Acidosis can lead to numerous health issues, and it can even be life-threatening.

There are two types of acidosis, each with various causes. The type of acidosis is categorized as either respiratory acidosis or metabolic acidosis, depending on the primary cause of your acidosis.

Respiratory acidosis
Respiratory acidosis occurs when too much CO2 builds up in the body.

Normally, the lungs remove CO2 while you breathe. However, sometimes your body can’t get rid of enough CO2. This may happen due to:
chronic airway conditions, like asthma
injury to the chest
obesity , which can make breathing difficult
sedative misuse
overuse of alcohol
muscle weakness in the chest
problems with the nervous system
deformed chest structure.

Metabolic acidosis
Metabolic acidosis starts in the kidneys instead of the lungs. It occurs when they can’t eliminate enough acid or when they get rid of too much base. There are three major forms of metabolic acidosis:

Diabetic acidosis occurs in people with
diabetes that’s poorly controlled. If your body lacks enough insulin , ketones build up in your body and acidify your blood.

Hyperchloremic acidosis results from a loss of sodium bicarbonate. This base helps to keep the blood neutral. Both
diarrhea and vomiting can cause this type of acidosis.

Lactic acidosis occurs when there’s too much lactic acid in your body. Causes can include chronic alcohol use, heart failure, cancer, seizures , liver failure,
prolonged lack of oxygen , and low blood sugar. Even prolonged exercise can lead to lactic acid buildup.

Renal tubular acidosis occurs when the kidneys are unable to excrete acids into the urine. This causes the blood to become acidic.Healthline