High levels of bilirubin, or hyperbilirubinemia, can be seen in numerous diseases. Bilirubin is a yellowish pigment that is a byproduct of the degeneration and recycling of old red blood cells. The pigment also grants color to the urine and feces...
Red blood cells carry oxygen in the blood. The oxygen is carried on a protein called hemoglobin. When hemoglobin breaks down, part of it is converted into the chemical bilirubin. The bilirubin travels in the blood to the liver where it is excreted...
Bilirubin is a natural byproduct of the breakdown of red blood cells. It is usually processed by the liver and excreted along with the rest of the body's waste. It is normal to find bilirubin in the blood, but elevated levels can be a sign of...
Bilirubin is a natural substance in your body and is a byproduct of old red blood cells. Your liver plays an important role in processing and removing these old blood cells. Certain conditions might overload or damage the liver, resulting in an...
Bilirubin is a product that is formed when red blood cells are broken down or destroyed. It is an orange-yellow pigment that is responsible for the color associated with jaundice. Along with cholesterol and bile acids, bilirubin makes up bile,...
A common symptom of Gilbert's disease, or Gilbert syndrome, is developing jaundice. Gilbert's disease is a largely harmless condition in which your liver can't process bilirubin correctly. If your bilirubin levels rise to higher-than-normal...
Look for a possible yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice) to determine if you have Gilbert's disease, sometimes referred to as Gilbert syndrome or GS. Gilbert's disease is a condition in which your bilirubin levels are...
Elevated levels of bilirubin may indicate that a person is having a problem with their blood count or with their liver function. In addition, infants may also have high bilirubin levels for a few days following birth. The symptoms of elevated...
Jaundice is a condition marked by high levels of bilirubin in the blood. The increased bilirubin will cause an infant's skin, along with the whites of their eyes, to appear yellow. Several types of jaundice can cause brain and central nervous...
Bilirubin forms from the breakdown of red blood cells. High levels of bilirubin in the blood, or hyperbilirubinemia, also called jaundice, can occur in newborns and adults. Bilirubin can be unconjugated, which means it hasn't passed through the...
Bilirubin and triglycerides are normally found circulating in the blood. Elevated levels of either may signal disease. It is unusual to have high bilirubin and triglycerides levels from a single disease without having other symptoms or laboratory...
Jaundice is a yellowing of the eyes and skin as a result of the accumulation of bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is a yellow pigment that is part of red blood cells and is typically broken down for excretion by the liver. Many infants have...
Jaundice is a condition experienced to some degree by most newborns due an immature liver's inability to filter bilirubin. The byproduct of broken down red blood cells, increased bilirubin is common in newborn babies and generally does not require...
Gilbert's syndrome, also known as constitutional hepatic dysfunction, is an inherited liver disease in which your body cannot properly process bilirubin, a yellowish-brown pigment that is produced when your liver breaks down old or worn-out red...
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a spectrum of conditions in which fat deposits accumulate within liver cells. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease occurs in people who drink little or no alcohol. The spectrum of liver damage associated with the...
Neonatal jaundice, a common condition in newborns occurs when a baby accumulates too much bilirubin in his body. Parent's and caregivers will see a yellow discoloration in the baby's skin and the white part of his eyes. In physiologic jaundice,...
Diseases that affect your liver can also change how your body responds to different medications. Gilbert's syndrome is a genetic problem with the liver that can cause problems if you take certain medications, but it does not appear to interact...
Hyperbilirubinemia refers to elevated bilirubin levels in the blood plasma. Bilirubin comes in two forms, water-soluble and water-insoluble. Water-soluble bilirubin is called conjugated bilirubin, and water-insoluble bilirubin is called...
Many newborns experience jaundice during the first few days or weeks of life. If your newborn has yellowing skin on his face spreading to his legs and torso, he likely has jaundice. In some cases, jaundice in infants is easily treated, but in...
If you're breast-feeding, you probably prefer to avoid taking unnecessary medications that could pass through your breast milk to your baby. If you develop an earache, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics if you have an ear infection. Ear pain...
Rejection of a liver after transplant occurs because the recipient's cells recognize the donor's cells as foreign and attack the new liver. Immunosuppressant medications are given after transplant to keep the immune system from attacking the new...
Bilirubin is the principal breakdown product of red blood cells. The liver processes bilirubin into bile, which is transported by the biliary network of tubes within the liver to the gallbladder. The gallbladder releases bile into the small...
Hepatitis B is a virus that affects the liver. It is spread through blood, semen or bodily fluids. If you think you might have put yourself at risk for hepatitis B or have symptoms, you should see your doctor so that you can get tested. If you...
The Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical describes the gallbladder is a hollow organ located beneath the liver that secretes a digestive fluid called bile into the intestines. Gallstones form when substances precipitate out of the bile and form...
A yellowish tinge to a person's skin and eyes is referred to as jaundice. It results from an elevation of bilirubin, a substance produced during the process of red cell breakdown. When red blood cells reach the end of their life cycle, they are...
The liver is located in the upper-right portion of your abdominal cavity. It is dark reddish-brown in color and functions to regulate many chemical levels within the blood and secrete bile to help break down fat in the intestines. Over 500...
Liver function tests (LFT) are blood tests that measure enzyme and protein levels in your blood. Abnormal results on LFT indicate that there's a problem affecting your liver, a situation that warrants further investigation. Liver function is...
Infectious mononucleosis, commonly abbreviated as just "mono," is a viral illness caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. It is one of the most common viral illnesses in humans. One of the effects of this infection is liver inflammation. This can be...
The skin is the largest and most visible organ of the body. In addition to being a vital part of the body's defenses, the skin can also display changes that can signal that there are problems elsewhere in the body. Although jaundice is common in...
