Bilirubin, a liquid that occurs during the breakdown of red blood cells in the blood, is excreted from the body through the liver in a healthy person. Otherwise, bilirubin can leak into your bloodstream. When too much bilirubin enters the bloodstream, jaundice occurs in the skin and eyes. In this regard, high or low bilirubin level is very important for human health.
The level of bilirubin, which can be measured with a very simple blood test, is usually high in newborns. However, this level returns to its ideal value in a short time. Let’s move on to our article where we answer questions such as what is bilirubin, what does high or low mean.
What is bilirubin in our blood?
Bilirubin is a brown and yellow liquid that is a byproduct of the basic process of breaking down red blood cells. This substance is an important component of bile, an important digestive fluid that is cleared from the blood by the liver. If the liver is damaged, bilirubin can leak into the bloodstream, causing several symptoms, mainly yellowing of the skin and eyes.
Bilirubin is produced when the liver breaks down old or damaged red blood cells. There are two types of bilirubin in the bloodstream, indirect and direct bilirubin. In general, high levels of bilirubin in the body can be a sign of various liver diseases. Not just a waste product, bilirubin acts as an antioxidant against heart, diabetes, cancer and various neurological diseases. Some experts suggest that whether high bilirubin is beneficial may depend on race, age, gender, and health status.
What is the bilirubin test, in which cases is it done?
The bilirubin blood test is done to find out the total level of bilirubin in your blood. Especially in cases of suspected jaundice, the test is also used to diagnose anemia and various liver disorders. The bilirubin test, performed with a simple blood draw, determines your total and direct bilirubin levels in your body.
If you do not have any liver problems, bilirubin, which negatively affects your health, is excreted from your body. Otherwise, bilirubin will pass from your liver into your blood and cause various symptoms.
What are the symptoms of high bilirubin, why is it high, what happens when it is low?
- severe abdominal pain
- Shake
- High fever
- chest pain
- rapid weight loss
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- dark urine
Although high bilirubin level is due to various reasons, there are some symptoms. It rises due to various liver disorders and should be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. A high level of bilirubin in the bloodstream is referred to as ‘hyperbilirubinemia’. Currently, it is not yet fully known whether low bilirubin levels cause a negative effect on human health. Therefore, there is no clear information about what kind of discomforts may occur in a miscarriage. Jaundice in the eyes and skin is one of the clearest symptoms caused by high bilirubin. Other symptoms caused by high bilirubin include:
What is the ideal bilirubin value?
The bilirubin blood test measures the total level of bilirubin in your blood and is analyzed against reference ranges. These reference ranges are determined by the ideal bilirubin value that a healthy individual should have in his body. Bilirubin levels outside the reference ranges, especially above the upper normal level, can be a sign of any disease.
A bilirubin test you have had gives information about two different levels of bilirubin: Unconjugated (indirect) bilirubin and conjugated (direct) bilirubin. For adults over 18 years of age, the normal total bilirubin can be up to 1.2 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) of blood. For individuals under 18 years of age, the ideal value is 1 mg/dl. The normal level for conjugated (direct) bilirubin should be less than 0.3 mg/dl.
Why is bilirubin high in newborns?
It is quite common for newborns to have high bilirubin levels. It is especially common in babies born before 38 weeks of gestation (premature babies) and breastfed babies.
While the baby is developing in the womb, the placenta removes bilirubin from the baby’s bloodstream. However, it can take time for a newborn baby to do this efficiently. Because of this, most newborns may have jaundice on their skin. This is called ‘physiological jaundice’ and usually goes away in about 2 weeks.
How is the bilirubin test done?
The bilirubin blood test, which is done to learn the level of bilirubin in the blood, is done very easily. A nurse or laboratory worker draws some blood by inserting a small needle into any vein in your arm. This blood is sent to the laboratory for analysis. The test has no symptoms other than a slight pain or bruising where the needle was inserted to collect your blood.
Your doctor may ask you not to eat or drink for a while before the test. Apart from that, any medication used regularly can affect the test results, so it is very important that you tell your doctor about the medications you are taking. If your doctor considers it appropriate, you may need to stop these drugs for a while before the bilirubin test.
What we describe is for informational purposes only. Do not forget that you should get the most accurate and specific information about your bilirubin value from a specialist physician, as in all health issues.
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