Question

Why does respiratory acidosis often lead to metabolic acidosis?

Answer 1

Acidosis is caused by the increase or over accumulation of acids in the blood levels or loss of bicarbonate from the blood in a person. Respiratory acidolsis is caused by the low carbon dioxide expulsion from the normal breathing or respiration process. The uneliminated carbon dioxide leads to acid formation or accumulation. In case of metabolic acidosis, it is not caused by carbon dioxide accumulation but the acid accumulation by the respiratory acidosis. So the initial acidosis is respiratory where the gaseous carbon dioxide leads to acid accumulation in the blood which directly results in metabolic acidosis as thebloodnjow has the excess acid accumulation due to respiratory acidosis. Hence, it is often seen that respiratory acidosis often leading to metabolic acidosis.