Indirect bilirubin is the difference between total and direct bilirubin . Common causes of higher indirect bilirubin include: Hemolytic anemia. This means your body is getting rid of too many red blood cells. Bleeding into the skin caused by injury.
What is considered high indirect bilirubin levels in adults?
It forms after red blood cells break down, and it travels through your liver, gallbladder, and digestive tract before being excreted. 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.
What is normal range of indirect bilirubin?
Indirect bilirubin: 0.2-0.8 mg/dL or 3.4-12.0 μmol/L (SI units) Direct bilirubin: 0.1-0.3 mg/dL or 1.7-5.1 μmol/L (SI units)
What does it mean if your indirect bilirubin is high?
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 .
When is indirect bilirubin high?
Indirect and direct bilirubin together make up total bilirubin. Indirect bilirubin may be too high when the liver is unable to adequately process (conjugated) bilirubin or when there is abnormal destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis).
How do you reduce indirect bilirubin?
- Stay hydrated. Staying hydrated helps lower bilirubin levels by facilitating the removal of waste from the body. ...
- Consume fresh fruits and vegetables. ...
- Increase your intake of fiber. ...
- Avoid alcohol.
Is 20 a high bilirubin level?
Half of babies have some jaundice. Usually it is mild. The level of bilirubin that is harmful is around 20. Reaching a level this high is rare .
Is a bilirubin level of 1.9 high?
What are normal bilirubin levels in adults? Normal values of direct bilirubin range from 0 to 0.4 mg/dL. Total bilirubin (direct and indirect) range from about 0.2 to 1.2 mg/dL (some lab values range as high as 1.9 mg/dL). Medical literature sources have minor variations in “normal” levels).
Can fatty liver cause high bilirubin?
Elevated serum bilirubin levels are inversely associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
What’s the difference between direct and indirect bilirubin?
Some bilirubin is bound to a certain protein (albumin) in the blood. This type of bilirubin is called unconjugated, or indirect, bilirubin. In the liver, bilirubin is changed into a form that your body can get rid of . This is called conjugated bilirubin or direct bilirubin.
Can high bilirubin be treated?
There are no drugs to specifically treat increased bilirubin levels , unless there is an infection, blockage or tumor. Treatment is aimed at correcting the underlying cause of increased bilirubin levels, and minimizing further damage to your liver, if damage is present.
Can dehydration cause high bilirubin?
Bilirubin levels may increase with stress, strain, dehydration , fasting, infection or exposure to cold. In many individuals, jaundice is only evident when one of these triggers raises the bilirubin levels.
What causes an increase in unconjugated bilirubin?
Increased bilirubin production and consequential unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia can result from increased catabolic degradation of hemoglobin and other heme proteins , typically due to accelerated hemolysis, a large hematoma, dyserythropoiesis (e.g., megaloblastic and sideroblastic anemias), or sometimes due to ...
What does elevated unconjugated bilirubin mean?
If your bilirubin levels are higher than normal, it’s a sign that either your red blood cells are breaking down at an unusual rate or that your liver isn’t breaking down waste properly and clearing the bilirubin from your blood.
What foods to avoid if you have high bilirubin?
- Alcohol. Alcohol is toxic to most internal bodily tissues, including the liver. ...
- Refined carbohydrates. ...
- Packaged, canned, and smoked foods. ...
- Saturated and trans fats. ...
- Raw or undercooked fish or shellfish. ...
- Beef and pork.
Is there medicine lower bilirubin?
Phenobarbital therapy has been shown to be effective in reducing plasma bilirubin levels in patients with Crigler-Najjar syndrome type 2. Administration of 60-180 mg/day of the drug (in divided doses) can reduce serum bilirubin levels by at least 25%. A response should be expected within 2-3 weeks.
