How does the renal system compensate for respiratory alkalosis?
Respiratory Alkalosis is caused by hyperventilation. You are breathing so fast you are losing too much of your body’s acid-CO2 and the HCO3 levels (the body’s base) build up. The respiratory system governs the CO2 by either speeding up or slowing down your rate of breathing to raise or lower CO2 levels. The renal system governs the bodys base-HCO3 by excretion through the kidneys. They excrete more or less HCO3 when needed. In Respiratory Alkalosis, the renal system increases excretion of HCO3 to try to even out the acid-base balance.
