If the results of a blood test indicate low levels of potassium in your blood -- or hypokalemia -- expect your doctor to recommend a high-potassium diet. If that intervention is not adequate enough to raise your serum potassium to a healthy level,...
Your body has a number of ways of regulating the amount of acid in your blood, including through your breathing. If your breathing becomes impaired, it can lead to a condition known as acute respiratory acidosis. One of the effects of acute...
Sodium and potassium are electrolytes, or electrically charged minerals, found in blood, according to LabTestsOnline.org. Electrolytes can change when the level of water in the body changes. Sodium and potassium levels may be tested individually...
The kidneys and lungs are responsible for maintaining the proper pH level of acids and bases in the body. Acidosis occurs when the acid builds up in the blood or when bicarbonate, a base, is lost. The body produces lactic acid mainly in the muscle...
Potassium is an essential dietary mineral and electrolyte required by your body. Not having enough potassium can result in a variety of health complications. Potassium bicarbonate is a supplemental form of potassium that has several purported...
There are chemical compounds in your body responsible for metabolic reactions that allow your body to function properly and create energy. Discussions of these reactions fill textbooks and scientific journals, but in a very elementary summarized...
Your body relies on sodium to generate electrical reactions that can help your nerves communicate and muscles move. Your kidneys filter sodium in your body, helping to release excess sodium via your urine or retaining sodium if you do not have...
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, an organ responsible for the production of several digestive enzymes and the hormone insulin. The pancreas is located behind the stomach and at the beginning of the small intestine, helping to digest...
The level of carbon dioxide in the blood is indicative of the health of the acid/base balance of the blood. Both acidic and alkaline conditions can cause an abnormally high carbon dioxide level in a blood test. Carbon Dioxide--also known as...
