If you have bilirubin

Bilirubin is a bile pigment that is contained in the blood of every person and is excreted along with bile through the bile ducts. It is formed daily as a result of the breakdown of the hemoglobin protein, but its content in the blood rises only if this disintegration becomes pathological. If you have increased bilirubin, this may indicate the presence of serious diseases.

The mechanism of increased bilirubin

In erythrocytes, the protein contains hemoglobin, due to which erythrocytes carry oxygen to all organs and tissues. Old and incompetent erythrocytes are destroyed in the spleen, liver and bone marrow, releasing the altered hemoglobin, which can be transformed into direct and indirect bilirubin. Indirect bilirubin is toxic, therefore it is immediately neutralized by enzymes of the liver, and the direct bile is excreted along with bile naturally.

The content of bilirubin in the blood is determined by means of biochemical analysis. To ensure an accurate result of the analysis, it is not recommended to eat for at least eight hours before it is surrendered. In the blood, the normal content of bilirubin is considered to be 8.5 - 20 μmol / l, indirect - up to 4.2 μmol / l.

Do not engage in self-medication, in the event that you have increased bilirubin. How to treat in this case a patient, should only decide the doctor. Before starting treatment, you need to find out the cause of increased bilirubin. There are a number of diseases in which bilirubin is elevated.

Diseases in which bilirubin is elevated

• Jaundice

The liver is the organ that plays a major role in the metabolism of bilirubin, so in the case of viral hepatitis, the amount of bilirubin in the blood will increase markedly. In addition, with hepatitis, the skin begins to acquire a yellowish hue. The reason for this is the "unutilized" liver of bilirubin, which begins to penetrate into the tissues of the skin and other organs.

• Anemia

Anemia is a lack of blood supply, that is, a reduction in the total number of red blood cells. As already mentioned, when erythrocytes are killed, bilirubin is released. If it receives too much, then the enzymes of the liver simply do not have time to process it. As a consequence, bilirubin is increased and accumulated, causing irreparable harm to the entire body.

Other factors in which bilirubin is elevated

• Because of a violation of the outflow of bile

The outflow of bile may be impaired due to pancreatic cancer, cholelithiasis or other factors narrowing the biliary tract. Bilirubin, a high level of which is visually perceptible by the color of the skin, accumulates in the tissues. The patient has such symptoms as itchy skin, vomiting, belching, decreased appetite and even kidney colic.

• During pregnancy

During pregnancy, bilirubin is elevated usually only in the last trimester. For pregnant women it is especially important to determine the true causes of high bilirubin, otherwise it may have complications such as hepatitis, anemia or cholecystitis.

• High bilirubin in newborns

In newborns, an elevated bilirubin level is the norm, because after birth, the baby's red blood cells begin to actively degrade, while releasing fetal hemoglobin, which is necessary for normal fetal oxygenation. To sound an alarm is necessary only in the event that the physiological jaundice goes beyond the redistribution of the norm.

In any case, only the doctor should treat the elevated bilirubin, focusing on the history, the results of the analysis and examination of the patient. Do not engage in self-medication, because only with a correct diagnosis and a completely completed course of treatment can the level of bilirubin be normalized.