You begin your day taking a morning shower and notice that your skin doesn't look the same. You look in the mirror and see that your eyes are slightly yellow. You notice these changes so what is happening? What do you do?
Contact your doctor which your doctor will run tests and procedures to see why your bilirubin is elevated which is causing the yellowing of your skin and eyes. What is bilirubin? Bilirubin is the result of a broken-down red blood cell traveling through the bloodstream to the liver to be processed as bile (bilirubin) which enters into the intestine (bowel) and exits the body with the poop. The bilirubin also indicates the color of your poop which when your bilirubin is high, your poop will then appear abnormal.
There are many reasons why your bilirubin level is high in your bloodstream and a common issue is because something is blocking the bile from draining and exiting out of your body. Determining the cause can help your doctor decide what the next course of care you need. The tests and procedures your doctor may perform during your visit are:
Bilirubin test (to identify blocked bile ducts to liver or gallbladder)
Liver function tests (AST (aspartate transaminase) and ALT (alanine transaminase) levels which determines the function of the liver)
Liver protein and Albumin tests (determine level of proteins to help fight infections)
Prothrombin time test (measure clotting time of blood)
Complete Blood Count (measure multiple components in the blood)
Imaging (ultrasound)
Liver biopsy (collect liver tissue to determine abnormal cells during a surgical procedure)
The results of these tests can tell your doctor what is causing your bilirubin levels to rise and what the course of treatment will be to lower the bilirubin in your blood stream. Reasons your bilirubin may be high are cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis, other liver diseases, and gallbladder disease. Once you have a diagnosis, your doctor will begin to plan a course of treatment to treat the underlying disease which should lower your bilirubin levels.
Sources:
Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board
Comments