What happens when you have bilirubin in your blood?

What happens when you have bilirubin in your blood?

It’ll also help determine if you have sickle cell disease or other conditions that cause hemolytic anemia. That’s a disorder where red blood cells are destroyed faster than they’re made. High levels of bilirubin can cause a yellowing of your skin and eyes, a condition doctors call jaundice.

What does a high bilirubin indicate?

Elevated levels may indicate liver damage or disease. Higher than normal levels of direct bilirubin in your blood may indicate your liver isn’t clearing bilirubin properly. Elevated levels of indirect bilirubin may indicate other problems.

Why does bilirubin increase in blood?

Bilirubin passes through the liver and is eventually excreted out of the body. Higher than normal levels of bilirubin may indicate different types of liver or bile duct problems. Occasionally, higher bilirubin levels may be caused by an increased rate of destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis).

What causes high direct bilirubin?

The conjugated (direct) bilirubin level is often elevated by alcohol, infectious hepatitis, drug reactions, and autoimmune disorders. Posthepatic disorders also can cause conjugated hyperbilirubinemia.

What is considered to be a high bilirubin level?

Typically, bilirubin levels fall somewhere between 0.3 and 1.2 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Anything above 1.2 mg/dL is usually considered high. The condition of having high bilirubin levels is called hyperbilirubinemia .

What drugs cause high bilirubin?

Certain medicines like rifampin, probenecid, chlorpromazine, erythromycin, estrogens, and anabolic steroids can be harmful toxins for liver cells in high doses. They can induce elevation of bilirubin levels.

What causes high total bilirubin?

High total bilirubin that is mostly unconjugated (indirect) may be caused by: Strenuous exercise can increase your bilirubin levels. Anemia. Cirrhosis. A reaction to a blood transfusion. Gilbert syndrome — a common, inherited condition in which there is a deficiency of an enzyme that helps to break down bilirubin.

What can lower bilirubin levels?

Caffeine, penicillin, barbiturates, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) called salicylates all lower bilirubin levels.