DefinitionRespiratory acidosis is a condition that occurs when the lungs cannot remove all of the carbon dioxide the body produces. This disrupts the body's acid-base balance causing body fluids, especially the blood, to become too acidic.Alternative NamesVentilatory failure; Respiratory failure; Acidosis - respiratoryCauses, incidence, and risk factorsCauses of respiratory acidosis include:Diseases of the airways (such as asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease), which send air into and out of the lungsDiseases of the chest (such as scoliosis), which make the lungs less efficient at filling and emptyingDiseases affecting the nerves and muscles that "signal" the lungs to inflate or deflateDrugs that suppress breathing (including powerful pain medicines, such as narcotics, and "downers,