Bilirubin is a byproduct of the process of replacing old red blood cells with new ones. The liver is the organ responsible for breaking down bilirubin into a form that can be excreted. High levels of bilirubin in the blood (hyperbilirubinemia) cause jaundice (yellowing of the skin and sclera) and are a sign of some liver problem. Many babies have jaundice during the first week of life, but adults can also suffer from high bilirubin levels when the liver is in poor condition. Treatments to cure this disorder are different in children and adults. By learning more about the effects and causes of hyperbilirubinemia in adults and children, you can better identify the problem and find appropriate treatments.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Reducing the Bilirubin Level in Infants
Step 1. Assess the risk factors for hyperbilirubinemia in children
The causes that lead to elevated bilirubin levels can be hereditary, environmental or related to other health problems.
- Premature babies have a harder time processing bilirubin because the liver has not yet fully developed.
- Infants who have a blood type that is incompatible with their mother's - known as an AB0 incompatibility - may be born with higher levels of bilirubin in the blood.
- If your baby has suffered severe bruising during delivery, the breakdown of red blood cells can increase bilirubin levels.
- Babies can develop "breastfeeding jaundice" for two reasons: the presence of certain proteins in breast milk or the baby does not get enough milk and becomes dehydrated.
- Some children may have liver, blood, enzyme or other conditions that can lead to elevated bilirubin. The same thing happens in case of infections.
Step 2. Feed your baby often
If your baby has jaundice, your pediatrician may advise you to feed him up to 12 times a day.
- If the baby has difficulty latching on or sucking milk, he or she is obviously unable to get enough. in this case you can consider contacting a lactation consultant or midwife to help you breastfeed the baby correctly.
- If you feed your baby more often, you help to pass stool, thus also eliminating the bilirubin.
- If despite the increase in the number of feedings, bilirubin levels do not decrease, the pediatrician can supplement the baby's diet with infant formula or expressed breast milk.
Step 3. Ask your pediatrician about phototherapy
This technique consists in exposing the newborn to light with a wavelength in the blue-green range. The light waves travel through the baby's body and enter the blood system, where they convert bilirubin into material that the body is able to excrete.
- During the procedure, the child must keep thin patches on his eyes to protect them from light; he should also wear a diaper.
- As a side effect of phototherapy, the child will likely discharge more often, with less firm, greenish stools. This is a completely normal symptom and should go away once therapy is finished.
- Although direct sunlight can help reduce bilirubin levels, relying on the sun alone is not recommended; it is too difficult to measure and control both the level of exposure to sunlight and the baby's body temperature during the process.
Step 4. Consider using a bilibed
It is a new phototherapy system based on optical fibers.
- The device consists of fiber optic fabric that is placed directly on the baby to expose it to light. In this way the newborn can be cared for without having to interrupt the procedure.
- This type of phototherapy can make baby's skin paler or redder, but this is a natural consequence of the treatment and will resolve once the bilirubin levels have reduced.
Step 5. Discuss other treatments with your pediatrician
If the jaundice is caused by an infection or other medical condition, such as increased breakdown of red blood cells, your doctor may recommend other drug or transfusion treatments.
Part 2 of 2: Reduce Bilirubin Level in Adults
Step 1. Assess your health status to identify possible factors that led to the rise in bilirubin levels
The bilirubin synthesis process can "jam" during one of three phases: before, during or after the moment of processing itself. In each case, the causes can be related to pathologies:
- Adults can develop what is called "hemolytic jaundice" when the problem occurs before bilirubin itself is produced. Most often this is caused by resorption of a large blood clot or hemolytic anemia.
- During the bilirubin production phase, adults can develop jaundice as a result of some viral infection, such as hepatitis and Epstein-Barr virus, autoimmune diseases, excessive alcohol consumption or due to taking certain medications such as acetaminophen, oral contraceptives and steroids.
- If jaundice occurs due to problems following the bilirubin production stage, there may be dysfunction in the gallbladder or pancreas.
Step 2. Contact your doctor
If you have jaundice, you need to have your bilirubin levels measured, as it could be an indicator of some serious health problem. Doctors usually work to identify and treat the cause of jaundice and treat any possible complications, but it is generally not possible to treat the disorder itself; Sometimes the doctor can give you medications to manage the itchiness, which is a typical symptom of jaundice.
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This disorder is often accompanied by other symptoms, which can help doctors determine the cause:
- Short-term jaundice is caused by infections and can lead to chills, fever, abdominal discomfort, or flu-like symptoms.
- Jaundice caused by cholestasis - blockage of the flow of bile - can be accompanied by itching, weight loss, dark colored urine, or pale stools.
Lower Bilirubin Step 8 Step 3. Verify that the person with hyperbilirubinemia does not suffer from any rare disease
There can be several rather unusual ailments that cause bilirubin levels to rise and consequently jaundice.
- Gilbert's syndrome is a genetic disorder that affects the liver. Patients have a reduced amount of liver enzymes needed to break down bilirubin. Although the disease is present from birth, symptoms, such as jaundice, fatigue, weakness, and gastrointestinal problems, may not appear until the person becomes a boy.
- Crigler-Najjar syndrome, an extremely rare condition, can also cause liver enzyme deficiency. The disease can be divided into two types: the most common is type 2, called Arias syndrome, and can be cured; in this case, patients can live almost as long as healthy people.
- Those who suffer from sickle cell anemia or other blood disorders run a higher risk of jaundice.
Lower Bilirubin Step 9 Step 4. Limit your alcohol consumption
This substance damages the liver, consequently leading to an increase in bilirubin levels; it is therefore important to reduce the amount to the recommended daily dose (1-2 drinks per day based on age). Some people may be advised to completely avoid consumption. Alcohol can damage the liver in three ways:
- Leaving too much fat in the liver cells. This disorder is known as fatty liver or hepatic steatosis. Many people who suffer from it don't actually experience symptoms, but they may experience discomfort and fatigue.
- Leaving scars and liver inflammation. These symptoms may indicate alcoholic hepatitis. Other signs may include vomiting, abdominal pain, and fever. Alcoholic hepatitis can sometimes be reduced by abstaining from alcohol consumption. Liver scars are also generated by viral and autoimmune hepatitis.
- By disrupting the functions of the liver. Cirrhosis of the liver is characterized by severe scarring of the liver and disrupts the organ's ability to process food and eliminate harmful substances from the blood.
Lower Bilirubin Step 10 Step 5. Maintain a normal weight and a healthy diet
Studies have found that obesity can damage the liver just as much as drinking alcohol. Obesity leads to fatty liver disease even in children.
- Food rich in fiber is particularly beneficial for the liver, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
- Some foods cause greater liver damage, such as those high in fat, sugar, or salt. Other harmful foods are fried foods or raw or undercooked seafood.
Lower Bilirubin Step 11 Step 6. Protect yourself from hepatitis
Hepatitis A, B and C are all viral in nature and create liver damage. You can avoid getting these diseases by taking a few precautions:
- The hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for everyone from birth. Hepatitis A is recommended for people who are particularly at risk or who travel to high-risk geographic areas.
- If you have to travel to some regions where hepatitis is endemic, you should get vaccinated before you leave.
- You can also contract these diseases through risky behaviors, such as intravenous drug use or unprotected sex.
Lower Bilirubin Step 12 Step 7. Be careful when taking medications
Remember that some medications, including over-the-counter and others prescribed to lower cholesterol, antibiotics, and anabolic steroids, are toxic to the liver. Discuss with your doctor if you are unsure about the liver side effects of certain therapies.
- Some alternative medicines thought to improve liver health and function have been linked to liver damage. Consult your doctor before taking these products. Herbal medicines that have been shown to be harmful to the liver include green tea, kava, symphitus, mistletoe, larrea tridentata and scutellaria.
- The liver is involved in the breakdown and metabolization of drugs, but these can damage it in the process. Paracetamol is the most widely used over-the-counter hepatotoxic drug.
