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What pH is your lungs?

Published in Respiratory Physiology 1 min read

The pH of your lungs is slightly alkaline, typically ranging from 7 to 8. This means your lungs are slightly basic, not acidic.

The lungs play a crucial role in maintaining your body's acid-base balance. They help remove carbon dioxide, a major contributor to acidity in the blood.

Here's how it works:

  • Carbon Dioxide Removal: Your body produces carbon dioxide as a byproduct of metabolism.
  • Blood Transport: The carbon dioxide travels through your blood to the lungs.
  • Lung Exhalation: Your lungs exhale the carbon dioxide, reducing its concentration in your blood.

This process helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your blood, keeping it slightly alkaline.

However, it's important to note that in cases of acute lung disease, the pH of the airways can be significantly affected. This is because lung diseases can impair the lungs' ability to remove carbon dioxide efficiently.

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