Symptoms Linked To Metabolic Alkalosis

Increased Heart Rate

A healthy individual should only experience an increased heart rate when they are exercising or when they fall ill. Someone who has a consistent increased heart rate during rest may have too much bicarbonate in their blood. Metabolic alkalosis can trigger hypoventilation or decreased rate of breathing in an affected individual. When the rate of breathing becomes decreased to a certain point, tissues distant from the heart do not receive an adequate amount of oxygen. Certain glands in the body can sense the lack of oxygen, which triggers the brain to activate mechanisms to compensate. Since the breathing center in the brain is being inhibited by the excessive base in the blood, it increases the individual's heart rate. The idea is the faster movement of the blood around the body will provide a better supply of oxygen to distant tissues that are lacking because of depressed respiration.

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Jaundice

Jaundice is a liver dysfunction characterized by yellowing of the whites of the eyes and yellowing of the skin. An individual who has a tumor in their liver, hepatitis, bile duct inflammation, hemolytic anemia, Gilbert's syndrome, or cholestasis can develop jaundice. The yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes is the result of bilirubin leaking into the blood. These problems with the liver can also cause lower than normal levels of an acid referred to as albumin in the blood, which raises its pH level. Another mechanism in the liver that can become impaired from the aforementioned conditions is the synthesis of urea. Urea synthesis is a critical function that causes the elimination of metabolically produced bicarbonate. Metabolic alkalosis develops when bicarbonate cannot be eliminated properly from an affected individual's body through this mechanism because it is impaired.

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