Renal tubular acidosis is a disease where the kidneys cannot remove enough acid from the body, causing high acidity levels in the blood. Symptoms include fatigue, heart palpitations, and poor growth. It can be corrected with medication and supplements, and diagnostic tests are used to determine the severity and type of the disease.
Renal tubular acidosis is a disease characterized by unusually high levels of acidity in the blood. It occurs when the kidneys are unable to remove enough acid from the body and excrete it in the urine. Several symptoms can occur, including chronic fatigue, body aches, heart palpitations, and poor growth in children. Without treatment, renal tubular acidosis can lead to permanent kidney damage and possibly kidney failure. Most cases of renal tubular acidosis can be corrected with medications and supplements designed to stabilize acid levels in the blood.
There are several varieties of renal tubular acidosis classified according to the parts of the kidney tubes they affect and the symptoms they cause. The most common type is called distal acidosis, referring to a problem with the end section of a tubule that normally secretes acid into the urine. Many cases of distal acidosis are inherited, but the disease can also occur in people with sickle cell disease, cirrhosis of the liver, or an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Acid imbalances can lower blood potassium levels and lead to symptoms of unstable heart rate, muscle weakness and kidney stones. Young children can develop rickets and cannot achieve normal heights and weights.
Renal tubular acidosis can also arise from problems with the proximal end of a tubule. Proximal acidosis increases the acidity of the blood because too much basic fluid is filtered from the blood and excreted in the urine. Like distal acidosis, the disease can be inherited or arise from a deficiency in the immune system. Some patients receiving long-term chemotherapy for cancer treatment develop proximal acidosis as a complication. Symptoms typically include fatigue, changes in appetite, and bone and muscle pain.
Doctors who suspect renal tubular acidosis may do a variety of diagnostic tests to learn the severity, type, and causes of the disease. Blood and urine samples are carefully examined to determine their acid and potassium levels. If a physical defect in the kidney is suspected, imaging tests such as ultrasound may be done.
Both distal and proximal renal tubular acidosis are treated by increasing patients’ intake of basic chemicals. Baking soda, the active ingredient in baking soda, is the most commonly used supplement. People with acidosis may need to drink baking soda solutions or take baking soda pills every day to prevent symptoms from worsening. A potassium supplement may also be prescribed if your blood potassium levels are dangerously low. Regular exercise and frequent medical checkups are essential to ensure that bone and kidney problems improve with treatment.
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