High Bilirubin

High Bilirubin Levels in Adults

Bilirubin is a byproduct of the liver processing waste. When the liver isn't functioning properly, bilirubin may begin to build up in the body.

High Bilirubin & High Triglycerides

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...

Causes of High Billirubin

Bilirubin is a substance that is found in bile, a fluid that is produced inside the liver, and is the byproduct of red blood cells that are broken down by the body. Bilirubin is yellow in color. When a person's bilirubin levels become higher than...

Causes of an Elevated Bilirubin Level

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...

Causes of Elevated Bilirubin

Bilirubin is a substance produced by the liver that can be found in the blood. It is normal to find bilirubin in the body; however, according to Medline Plus, excessive amounts of bilirubin in the blood may be an indicator of a medical condition...

What Is Obstructive Jaundice?

People with jaundice have a yellow color in the white part of their eyes and a yellowish skin color. This comes from having high levels of bilirubin in the bloodstream. In obstructive jaundice, there are high bilirubin levels because the bile flow...

What Causes Elevated Bilirubin Levels?

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...

Complications From Neonatal Jaundice

Neonatal jaundice is a common medical condition that affects approximately 2/3 of healthy newborn infants, according to Dr. Daniel Homme with the University of South Alabama. The characteristic features of neonatal jaundice, such as yellow skin or...

Signs of Hyperbilirubinemia

Bilirubin is a byproduct of the breakdown of old blood cells by the liver, normally excreted through bile into the digestive tract. When the liver is unable to remove and excrete the appropriate amount of bilirubin, it builds up in the bloodstream...

Health Benefits of Sunlight Lamps

Light therapy, also called phototherapy, is a treatment that uses an artificial sunlight lamp to simulate the natural light that may be lacking at certain times of the year, like the dead of winter. Sunlight lamps provide a more concentrated dose...

About Neonatal Jaundice

Quite often after delivery, newborn babies have yellow-looking skin. This yellow discoloration, known as neonatal jaundice, is one of the most common conditions in newborns, and requires evaluation and treatment by medical professionals, according...

Complications of Jaundice

Jaundice is a common medical condition that affects approximately 60 percent of infants within the first week following delivery, explains the National Health Service. This condition is caused by the accumulation of bilirubin, a yellow digestive...

The Effects of Kernicterus

Kernicterus is brain damage caused by high levels of bilirubin in the brains of newborn infants. Kernicterus is caused by high levels of bilirubin in a baby's blood, a condition known as jaundice, or hyperbilirubinemia, according to the Merck...

Complications of Infant Jaundice

Infant jaundice is a condition marked by high levels of bilirubin in the blood where the whites of the eye and skin turn yellow. When all is functioning properly, bilirubin, a byproduct of old red blood cells, is processed by the liver, excreted...

Causes of Jaundice in Infants

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...

3 Ways to Identify Cholestasis

Learn about the physical symptoms you might experience if you have cholestasis, in order to identify if you have the condition. Suffering from cholestasis means that bile can't flow out of your liver. There are many underlying causes of...

Phototherapy in Infants

Jaundice is common in newborns--it typically begins on the second or third day of life, and goes away after one to two weeks. However, some children experience persistent jaundice, which can damage the liver and other organs. For these children,...

Early Symptoms of Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B refers to a serious inflammation of the liver that results from being infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). According to EMedicine.com, over 90 percent of healthy individuals will fight off this infection and recover. Hepatitis B...

Newborn Jaundice Signs & Symptoms

Excessive levels of bilirubin in a newborn's bloodstream cause jaundice in many otherwise healthy babies. In most cases, the jaundice clears on its own, while other babies need light therapy to clear it up. Extremely high levels of bilirubin that...

Newborn Jaundice & Vitamin D

Hyperbilirubinemia is the medical term for a high bilirubin level in the bloodstream and the cause of jaundice. A newborn with jaundice will have skin that looks yellow and a yellowish look to the white part of the eyes. There are actually four...

5 Ways to Spot Symptoms of Liver Disease

Jaundice is usually the first symptom you will notice to indicate you are suffering from some form of liver disease. Jaundice occurs when you have abnormally high bilirubin levels, a phenomenon that is consistent with liver dysfunction. When you...

Symptoms of Elevated Bilirubin

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...

Causes of Elevated Bilirubin in Adults

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...

Causes of Elevated Bilirubin Levels

Bilirubin is a yellow bile pigment formed from the breakdown of heme in old, red blood cells. The old heme travels to the liver where it is secreted into bile by the liver and excess bilirubin is removed from the body through stool. When there...

Physical Signs of Jaundice

The term jaundice refers to the yellow tinge that stains the skin and the whites of the eyes. Jaundice is common in newborns but may also be present in adults as a result of disease or illness. The yellow coloring is produced by an excess of...

Jaundice Symptoms in Infants

According to the Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health Media, at KidsHealth.org, jaundice is a common condition in newborns. It refers to the yellowing of the skin and/or whites of the eyes from a buildup of bilirubin in the blood....

What Are the Treatments for Skin Discoloration in Infants?

A newborn's skin tone can appear mottled and uneven directly after birth due to the physical trauma of entering the world. Discoloration may continue into infancy for a variety of reasons: high levels of a waste product called bilirubin can give...

Treatment for a Premature Infant

Premature or preterm infants are babies born 37 weeks or less after pregnancy begins. Being born prematurely can expose a newborn to several common health problems caused by inadequate development of major organ systems. In addition to treating...