pathoscribe

Written by Tyler Huo | Art by Maya Wen

Lactic acid – virtually everyone has heard this term before. Maybe it came up as you were running in a PE class or swimming laps in a pool. It’s often blamed for that uncomfortable burning feeling in your legs and the soreness you feel the next day as you get out of bed. That feeling of fatigue is often misattributed to a buildup of lactic acid in your bloodstream. Rather, that soreness stems from microscopic muscle damage and inflammation. 

Lactate, not lactic acid, is the substance produced when your muscles are deprived of oxygen during exercise. This buildup is normal, and most healthy individuals are able to properly flush it out to keep a metabolic balance. When your muscle tissue is deprived of oxygen, your body naturally produces more lactate. 

Lactic Acidosis (LA) occurs when your body produces excess lactate faster than your body, specifically your liver and kidneys, can metabolize it. This causes a drop in the pH of your blood, which is typically slightly basic, to become more acidic than usual. LA is uncommon in healthy individuals and is most often caused by severe infection/sepsis, liver or kidney failure, vitamin B1 deficiency, and certain medications. Nausea, vomiting, extreme fatigue, muscle cramps, and shortness of breath are just a few early indicators of potential LA. If left untreated, severe Lactic Acidosis could lead to organ failure or death. 

Treatments for Lactic Acidosis target not the superficial symptoms, but rather the underlying cause. This is done through the use of IV fluids, vitamins, supplemental oxygen, mechanical ventilation, and dialysis. 

Works Cited: 

“Lactic Acidosis: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & More.” Healthline, 1 Mar. 2022, http://www.healthline.com/health/lactic-acidosis#What-is-lactic-acidosis.

Cleveland Clinic. “Lactic Acidosis: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & What It Is.” Cleveland Clinic, 13 June 2023, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/25066-lactic-acidosis.

‌Kramer, Erik. “Easy Ways to Treat Lactic Acidosis: 10 Steps (with Pictures).” Wikihow.health, wikiHow, 4 Mar. 2020, http://www.wikihow.health/Treat-Lactic-Acidosis. 

‌Seheult, Jansen, et al. “Lactic Acidosis: An Update.” Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM), vol. 55, no. 3, 1 Jan. 2017, https://doi.org/10.1515/cclm-2016-0438. 

Kraut, Jeffrey A., and Nicolaos E. Madias. “Lactic Acidosis: Current Treatments and Future Directions.” American Journal of Kidney Diseases, vol. 68, no. 3, Sept. 2016, pp. 473–482, https://doi.org/10.1053/j.ajkd.2016.04.020.

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