Bilirubin in essentially a fluid produced by the body and when present in an individual’s bile and urine could be indicative of the presence of some kind of underlying medical complication or disease. Under normal conditions, the bilirubin is created by the liver through the process of breaking down of old red blood cells. This then is removed from the body through the patient’s stool thus also giving the stool a typical brown color. Bilirubin circulates within the human bloodstream in two main forms. First is the unconjugated bilirubin, which does not dissolve in water. This is provided to the liver to be changed into a soluble form. The second form is conjugated bilirubin, which is bilirubin in its soluble form and created by the liver from the unconjugated type of bilirubin. Bilurbin tests are one of the most effective methods of diagnosing conditions like liver disease, hepatitis and cirrhosis. The test is even helpful for checking on the performance of liver function. The bilirubin test also helps diagnose conditions such as the increased destruction of red blood cells and hemolytic anemia. This also proves effective in diagnosing new born babies when it comes to treating conditions such as neonatal jaundice.
When it comes to analyzing bilirubin levels, it is important to keep in mind the fact that the levels are slightly higher in males than they are in females. Normal readings of bilirubin are anywhere between 0.3 to 1 mg/dL making your current reading show up as higher than normal. This is an indicator that there could be some underlying medical complication such as an infected gallbladder, inherited disease such as Gilberts syndrome or even a blockage of the bile ducts. However, the increased levels of bilirubin could also be the result of nothing more than just not eating any food for a significantly long period of time. The increased amount of gap between eating would increase the indirect bilirubin levels within the body. The fact that some medical journals will also cite the bilirubin levels of up to 1.9 mg/dL being within a normal range would indicate that you may not have too much to worry about. However, a few home remedies that will help you control the levels include increasing your intake of fresh fruit and vegetable juices while consuming a light, liquid diet. Also make it a point to ingest only foods that are fat and oil free.
answered by G M