Causes of high bilirubin

Speaking of bilirubin, we have to say that bilirubin is one of the most common pigments in our human bile, and its color is mainly orange-yellow. However, bilirubin can be said to be a waste product for our body. However, if the bilirubin level is too high, it will lead to various diseases, and in severe cases, it may be life-threatening. So what is the cause of high bilirubin?

In fact, the human body's bilirubin has a specific normal range. Once it exceeds this normal range, our body will have all kinds of problems, and may even cause and produce various diseases. In short, high bilirubin is extremely harmful to our body. So what is the cause of high bilirubin?

Normal bilirubin value

The normal range of total bilirubin is 1.71-17.1 μmol/L (1-10 mg/L); the normal range of direct bilirubin is 0-3.4 μmol/L (1-4 mg/L). The normal range of indirect bilirubin is 1.7-13.7 μmol/L. Normal values ​​of bilirubin in newborns: normal value of total bilirubin is 3.4~17.1μmol/l, normal value of direct bilirubin is 0~6.8μmol/l, and normal value of indirect bilirubin is 1.7~10.2μmol/l.

Bilirubin is a waste product for the body, but if the bilirubin level in serum is too high, it reveals abnormal information such as liver disease or bile duct obstruction. The high or low value of serum bilirubin represents the severity of the abnormality.

Causes of high bilirubin

Increased total bilirubin is commonly seen in: (1) Liver diseases: acute icteric hepatitis, acute yellow liver necrosis, chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis, etc. (2) Extrahepatic diseases: hemolytic jaundice, blood transfusion reaction due to blood type incompatibility, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, etc. (3) Seen in toxic or viral hepatitis, hemolytic jaundice, pernicious anemia, paroxysmal hemoglobinuria. Polycythemia, neonatal jaundice, internal bleeding, post-transfusion hemolytic jaundice, acute yellow liver atrophy.

Indirect increase

1. Hemolytic jaundice. Due to some hemolytic diseases, excessive destruction of red blood cells may result in increased indirect bilirubin in the blood; 2. Hepatocellular jaundice. When liver cells become diseased, bilirubin cannot be converted into bile normally. Due to the swelling of liver cells, the bile ducts in the liver are compressed, the excretion of bile is blocked, and the bilirubin level in the blood increases. 3. Blood transfusion error. Blood transfusion with incompatible blood types may cause hemolysis, destroy a large number of red blood cells, and cause a large amount of indirect bilirubin to be released into the blood. 4. Neonatal jaundice. It is mainly due to the increase of indirect bilirubin in the blood caused by blood type incompatibility between mother and child or congenital biliary tract malformation in the newborn.

Direct rise

1. Obstructive jaundice. It is mainly caused by bile duct obstruction (such as cholelithiasis, liver cancer, and pancreatic head cancer). 2. Some diseases that cause excessive destruction of liver cells, such as acute and chronic hepatitis, hepatocellular jaundice, cirrhosis, etc.

treat

Patients with high bilirubin are advised to check alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase. If these two items are elevated, the primary disease needs to be identified and liver protection and other treatments need to be performed. If alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase are within the normal range and bilirubin is high, no treatment is temporarily required. Pay attention to rest, eat a balanced diet, check liver function regularly, and monitor the development of the disease at all times.

The reasons for high bilirubin are actually related to various diseases. In addition to some liver diseases and extra-hepatic diseases, neonatal jaundice can also easily lead to elevated bilirubin levels. Therefore, if you want to keep bilirubin normal, you should pay attention to diet and rest, and maintain a good mentality, a positive and optimistic attitude, etc.