If your bicarbonate is low it means that you may have metabolic acidosis which is a condition where you have too much acid in your body.
A normal range for bicarbonate levels in the body is 22-29 mEq/L, while bicarbonate levels that are between 12-22 mEq/L indicate you have metabolic acidosis.
Levels of bicarbonate below 12 mEq/L indicate you have severe metabolic acidosis.
Having a low level of bicarbonate in the blood can cause a condition called metabolic acidosis or too much acid in your body.
A range of conditions that can cause metabolic acidosis include liver failure, kidney disease and diarrhea.
The signs and symptoms of low sodium bicarbonate in the body include.
Loss of appetite.
Vomiting.
Nausea.
Feeling very tired and or weak.
Confusion.
Fast heartbeat.
Changes in your breathing.
At first your breaths are usually fast and deep and often described as air hunger and then as the acidosis gets worse your breathing becomes slower, deeper and harder.
Bicarbonate in the body is excreted and reabsorbed by your kidneys.
This helps to regulate your body's pH, or acid balance.
Bicarbonate in the body also works with sodium, potassium, and chloride.
Acidosis in diabetes ketoacidosis is caused by the overproduction of β-hydroxybutyric acid and acetoacetic acid.
At physiological pH, these 2 ketoacids dissociate completely, and the excess hydrogen ions bind the bicarbonate, resulting in decreased serum bicarbonate levels.