Bilirubin
Bilirubin is a yellowish-brown substance found in the gall bladder of the human body. This substance is produced primarily from the breakdown of the liver of the red blood cells. This substance is eliminated by the stool, which gives the stool its color.
Article bilirubin found in the human body forms; direct or associated bilirubin, and indirect bilirubin or non-associated, but bilirubin is associated with it can not soluble in water, and being in the blood strongly linked with albumin (in English: Albumin) to be up to the liver where it is Transfer it to the associated bilirubin, which can dissolve in water.
When the body’s bilirubin increases to more than 2 mg / dL, the color of the skin and the color of the eye’s white color changes to yellow. This is known as Jaundice. There are several reasons for this, including liver diseases such as hepatitis, And obstruction of bile ducts responsible for crossing the yellow juice from the liver to the small intestine. Jaundice is common in newborns, especially in preterm infants and in some cases in breast-fed children. The liver is not fully developed to remove bilirubin. In other cases, jaundice reveals a health problem in newborns.
When bilirubin is high in the blood, it is necessary to know which bilirubin is high. Direct or indirect bilirubin increases the causes of indirect bilirubin, and the associated bilirubin is not toxic because when a large percentage is discharged by urine, It causes the urine to become darker. As for indirect or unrelated bilirubin, its height is toxic because it has the ability to cross the blood brain barrier and cause neurological problems.
Causes of elevated bilirubin associated:
- Low liver discharge of bilirubin, this can cause:
- Liver diseases, such as viral hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, or alcoholic hepatitis.
- Genetic disorders such as Rotor Syndrome and Dubin johnson syndrome.
- Some medications are contraceptives taken orally.
- Primary biliary cirrhosis.
- Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis.
- Bile duct obstruction outside the liver, and can be the cause of obstruction as follows:
- Gallstones.
- Cholangiocarcinoma (Cholangiocarcinoma).
- Cancer of the head of the pancreas.
- Extrahepatic biliary atresia (extrahepatic biliary atresia).
Reasons for high uninvolved bilirubin:
- Increased bilirubin production, as in the case of hemolytic anemia.
- The low amount of bilirubin taken by the liver, or the lack of coupling of bilirubin in the liver, and the glaucoma in cases where this happens as follows:
- Neonatal jaundice, a physiological jaundice resulting from incomplete maturity of the conjugation process in the liver.
- Gilbert’s syndrome.
- Some medications, such as sulfonamide, penicillin, and rifampin.
- Crigler-najjar syndrome, and there are two types of this syndrome, the first type is more severe than the second type and usually causes brain damage in newborns.
- Liver diseases such as hepatitis and liver cirrhosis.
Diagnosis of yellowing
Yellowing is diagnosed by measuring the proportion of associated bilirubin and non-associated, and if there is an increase in the unaligned bilirubin ratio, the doctor asks for the complete blood count (CBC), the reticulocyte counts, and the haptoglobin Haptoglobin), and a lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) enzyme. If there is an increase in the proportion of bilirubin associated; the doctor asks to examine the functions of the liver that can indicate the cause of yellowing, and the doctor can request an ultrasound or CT scan to detect any obstruction in the channel Bile or any anatomical changes, and in certain cases the doctor requires biopsy of the liver to reveal the extent of damage to liver cells.
Because the causes of yellowing are many; each case is treated separately depending on the reason that led to the occurrence, and this is based on the results of laboratory tests, for example, if the cause is a specific substance should be stopped exposure, and if the problem is caused by drinking large amounts of alcohol should If the cause of yellowing is hepatitis caused by infection, such as viral hepatitis, an antiviral should be taken to prevent further damage to the liver. If there is a serious liver problem, the treatment can lead to new liver transplantation.
Human can prevent the causes that may lead to the yellowing of the eye by:
- Do not drink alcohol, or minimize as much as possible.
- Viral hepatitis B vaccine is taken if the person is traveling to places where hepatitis C is spread.
- Be careful not to use a used injection or injection needle twice, and keep away from drugs.
Learn more about why your eyes are yellowing.