Content

• Steps

Bilirubin is an intermediate product in the production of new blood cells to replace old blood cells. The liver is responsible for breaking down bilirubin into an excreted product. Increased bilirubin in the blood (hyperbilirubinemia) leads to jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes) and indicates liver problems. Yellow jaundice is fairly common in infants during the first week of life, but adults can also develop increased bilirubin from certain liver problems. Treatment for hyperbilirubinemia in infants and adults is different, but you can deal with it if you understand the effects and causes of hyperbilirubinemia in adults and infants.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Decreased bilirubin levels in a newborn

1. 

   Evaluate the risk of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Factors that affect bilirubin levels can be genetic, environmental, or related to another health condition.
   • The body of premature babies is poorly able to process bilirubin because the liver is not fully developed.
   • Babies whose blood types do not match their mother's blood type - also known as ABO mother-to-child blood type disagreement - may have higher blood bilirubin levels from birth.
   • If your baby has a lot of bruising at birth, the bilirunbin level will increase due to the breakdown of erythrocytes.
   • Infants can experience "breast milk jaundice" for two reasons: the presence of certain proteins in breast milk or because the baby is not getting enough milk, leading to dehydration.
   • Some children have liver, blood or enzyme problems or other medical problems leading to increased bilirubin levels. In addition, the baby may become infected and cause an increase in bilirubin.

2. 

   
   
   Feed your baby often. Doctors often recommend feeding babies with jaundice 12 times a day.
   • Some sucking and nipple latching issues can prevent a baby from getting enough breast milk, so consider seeking help from a breastfeeding specialist.
   • Regular breastfeeding will stimulate digestion and elimination of bilirubin.
   • If your baby has been breastfed frequently and still cannot lower the bilirubin level, your doctor will advise you to breastfeed your baby with formula or expressed breast milk.

3. 

   
   
   Consult about phototherapy. Phototherapy requires exposure to light in the blue-green spectrum. When light waves pass through the skin into the bloodstream, it converts bilirubin into a form of matter that can be excreted from the body.
   • Babies must wear eye protection to protect them from light, and must also wear diapers during therapy.
   • Babies have more bowel movements, loose stools, and may be bluish as a side effect of phototherapy. This is normal and will go away once treatment is stopped.
   • Although direct sunlight also helps reduce bilirubin, sun exposure is not recommended. It is very difficult to control baby's exposure to sunlight and body temperature during exposure.

4. 

   
   
   Consider using Biliblanket lamps. The Biliblanket lamp is a modern device made up of interwoven optical fibers.
   • When using, people place lights directly on young people to maximize the area of ​​light exposure, so you can hold and breastfeed without interrupting the treatment.
   • The Biliblanket light makes your baby's skin look bleached or red, but this is actually part of the treatment and goes away when the bilirubin level drops.

5. 

   Discuss other treatment options with your doctor. If jaundice is caused by an infection or other medical problem, such as increased hemolysis of red blood cells, doctors often recommend other treatments such as medications or even blood transfusions. advertisement

Part 2 of 2: Decreased bilirubin levels in adults

1. 

   Health assessment to identify conditions that may be the cause of increased bilirubin. The bilirubin production system can experience problems at one of three times: before, during, and after bilirubin production. Each such problem stems from a group of related conditions:
   • Adults can develop "indirect bilirubin jaundice" when an error occurs before bilirubin is born, most commonly due to a large blood clot being reabsorbed or hemolytic anemia.
   • During the production of bilirubin, jaundice develops when you are infected with viruses such as the hepatitis virus and Epstein-Barr, due to an autoimmune disorder, excessive alcohol consumption or medications such as acetaminophen, oral contraceptive oral and steroids.
   • If an adult has jaundice because of the mistakes that appear after bilirubin is born, these errors can be in the gallbladder or pancreas.

2. 

   Seek medical attention. You should check your bilirubin level if you have jaundice, as it could be a sign of a serious health problem. Usually, doctors have to try to find out and treat the cause of the disease, and treat the complications that accompany jaundice. Jaundice itself is rarely the subject of treatment. They sometimes give you an itch reliever, which is a common symptom of jaundice.
   • Jaundice also often comes with other symptoms, so your doctor can look for the cause:
     • Short-term jaundice caused by an infection often has chills, fever, upset stomach, or flu-like symptoms.
     • Jaundice caused by a blockage of the bile ducts is often accompanied by itching, weight loss, dark urine or light-colored stools.

3. 

   Confirmation that high bilirubin is not caused by a rare disease. Some rare illnesses can lead to high bilirubin levels and jaundice.
   • Gilbert's syndrome is an inherited liver disease that prevents a patient from having enough liver enzymes needed to break down bilirubin. Although the disease is inherent from birth, symptoms such as jaundice, fatigue, weakness, and gastrointestinal discomfort may appear only when the patient begins to reach adolescence.
   • Crigler-Najjar syndrome is an extremely rare disease caused by an enzyme deficiency. There are two forms of this disease, the more common one called Arias syndrome that can be cured to make the patient's life return to normal or almost normal.
   • Sickle cell anemia or other blood diseases also increase the risk of developing jaundice.

4. 

   Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol destroys the liver, leading to increased bilirubin levels, so limit your intake to the recommended daily level (350-700 ml of beer 5% alcohol / day depending on your age).Some people are advised to quit alcohol completely. Alcohol or beer can destroy the liver in 3 ways:
   • Leaving too much fat in liver cells. This condition is also known as fatty liver disease, many people have but have no symptoms. If there are symptoms, the symptoms are usually discomfort and fatigue.
   • Causes damage or inflammation of the liver. These symptoms indicate that you have alcoholic hepatitis. There are also some symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pain and fever. If it is alcoholic hepatitis, sometimes it will go away on its own if you quit drinking. In addition to alcohol, hepatitis virus or autoimmune hepatitis are also likely to be the cause.
   • Disruption of liver function. Cirrhosis is characterized by a severely damaged liver and an inability to process food to remove toxins from the blood.

5. 

   Maintain a healthy weight and diet. Studies show that obesity damages the liver more than alcohol does. Obesity can lead to fatty liver, including in children.
   • Fiber-rich foods are especially good for the liver, including fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
   • Certain foods are more likely to cause liver damage, including foods rich in fat, sugar or salt. In addition, fried foods and raw or undercooked seafood can also be harmful to the liver.

6. 

   Protect yourself from hepatitis. All the viruses that cause hepatitis A, B, and C are bad for the liver, and getting vaccinated is the best way to avoid getting sick:
   • It is recommended that people get the hepatitis B vaccine shortly after birth. Meanwhile vaccination for hepatitis A is recommended for those at high risk or those traveling to high-risk areas.
   • If you are going to a part of the world with a high prevalence of hepatitis, you should get vaccinated before going.
   • Hepatitis can also be transmitted through risky behaviors like intravenous drug injection and unprotected sex.

7. 

   Be careful when using drugs. Be aware of a number of medications that can cause toxic hepatitis, including over-the-counter pain relievers and popular prescription medications like cholesterol-lowering medications, antibiotics, and anabolic steroids. Tell your doctor if you suspect that a medication you take may harm your liver.
   • Some alternative drugs are considered beneficial for liver health and function, but have actually been linked to liver damage. Consult your doctor before taking an alternative medicine. Common herbs that are known to cause liver damage include tea, rosemary, mistletoe, hemp (chaparral), and rhubarb.
   • The liver has the function of breaking down drugs and so this process has the potential to harm itself. Acetaminophen is the most commonly used medication that can cause liver damage.
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