Dorothy FarrarPH value
The pH value indicates the degree of the basic or acidic reaction of a substance. The corresponding pH value is extremely important for health, as otherwise hyperacidity can occur.
Definition
The human body has a total water content of 70 percent. Most metabolic reactions therefore take place in an aqueous environment. The pH value indicates how high the ion concentration is in this aqueous solution. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14.
A pH of 7 is a neutral value, pH values above 7 are basic, while pH values below 7 are acidic. The abbreviation ph comes from the Latin term “potentia hydrogenii”, which means hydrogen ion concentration.
Anatomy
Different levels of acidity also prevail in the different areas of the human body.
The secretion of the pancreas is far in the basic range , where values of pH 8.0 are measured. In the duodenum , the secretion neutralizes the food that has been acidified in the stomach . This allows the nutrients to be absorbed. The intestines are also in the basic area . If digestion is disturbed, acids are produced here, which the intestine then gets rid of through diarrhea.
The blood has pH values of 7.35 to 7.45, so it is still in the basic range. The saliva is neutral or weakly basic with pH values of 7.1 to 7.0. However, it can also reach acidic values in severe hyperacidity states, which can subsequently lead to damage to the teeth . The connective tissue shows values from 7.08 to 7.29.
The cells and the muscles of the organs are also in the acidic range , since the body cells are constantly active. If nutrients are burned, carbonic acid is produced, so constant deacidification of the cells is very important.
The pH of urine ranges from 4.8 to 8.0, with the acid being excreted in the urine . The most acidic part of the body is the gastric juice , where pH values range from 1.2 to 3.0. The hydrochloric acid that is formed in the stomach is important for digesting protein but also for killing pathogens.
Function
The ideal pH value in the blood is around 7.4. A healthy environment is therefore slightly alkaline and this pH value should also be maintained for a functioning metabolism. If the values deviate even slightly, metabolic disorders occur that can even be life-threatening.
So that the pH value can be kept constant, the blood has so-called buffer substances that are able to absorb changes in the pH value through corresponding metabolic reactions. An assessment of the pH value only makes sense together with the blood oxygen, excess base, blood carbon dioxide and bicarbonate values.
Arterial blood is mostly used to determine the blood pH value. However, since puncturing arterial blood vessels is relatively difficult, the puncture is carried out almost exclusively in intensive care or clinical settings. Capillary blood, on the other hand, is not suitable for determining the pH value.
Diseases
- Alkalose
Blood pH is usually measured with a blood gas test. This is necessary in the case of chronic renal insufficiency, high losses of bases and acids due to diarrhea and vomiting , metabolic disorders, severe circulatory disorders, as well as respiratory or pulmonary dysfunctions.
For children and adults, the reference value for blood pH is between 7.36 and 7.44. If the value is too low, this abnormality is called acidosis, which can be caused by such things as breathing disorders that cause the lungs to be poorly ventilated. Another possible cause is a disruption in gas exchange, which occurs as part of lung diseases.
The cause for this is usually a metabolic disorder such as insufficient kidney function, a congenital protein and lipid metabolism disorder, hyperglycemia in diabetics, persistent diarrhea or errors in infusion therapy.
Too high a pH is called alkalosis. The cause of this is usually over-ventilation of the lungs, which occurs due to breathing that is too frequent or too deep. An increased pH value is also due to metabolic causes.
These include disturbances in the hormone balance due to congenital disorders or hormone therapies or constant vomiting, which leads to a loss of acid, which shifts the acid-base balance. Congenital disorders include, for example, Cushing’s syndrome, in which a lot of cortisone is produced.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.