This indicator on the physical examination report is high. Is there something wrong with the liver?

During a physical examination, you may measure bilirubin, which is closely related to the health of the liver. Many people have high bilirubin levels, so what does its abnormality indicate? Today we will talk about this issue and see what the relationship is between bilirubin and the liver.

01
Liver: Largest Organ

The liver is the largest organ in the human body. It is located in the abdomen, below the right diaphragm, in front of the gallbladder and in front of the right kidney, and above the stomach. It is mainly responsible for metabolism and plays a role in deoxidation, storage of glycogen, and synthesis of secretory proteins. At the same time, the liver is also the largest digestive gland in the human digestive system. It participates in the production of bile in the digestive system and is also the main organ for urea synthesis. It is very important for metabolism.

The liver plays a very important role in the human body and is mainly responsible for the important function of maintaining life. It not only secretes bile, stores glycogen, regulates the metabolism of protein, fat and carbohydrates, but also has the functions of detoxification, hematopoiesis and coagulation.

Among them, 80%-85% of normal human blood bilirubin comes from the disintegration of aging red blood cells, and the rest comes from non-hemoglobin heme in the liver and the destruction of immature red blood cells in the bone marrow. Bilirubin in the human body is divided into "total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, and indirect bilirubin". It has antioxidant function and affects liver cell regeneration. In the process of liver cell uptake, binding and excretion of bilirubin, any obstacle in any link can increase blood bilirubin and cause jaundice.

02

What is the relationship between bilirubin and the liver?

Bilirubin is a waste product for the body, but if the bilirubin level in serum is too high, it will reveal abnormal information such as liver disease or bile duct obstruction. The level of serum bilirubin represents the severity of liver abnormalities.

A mild increase in serum bilirubin may cause no symptoms or signs. When the bilirubin is too high, the body will show corresponding symptoms and signs, such as: general fatigue, loss of appetite, yellowing of the whole body, especially yellowing of the sclera, dull and lusterless face, urine turning into beer color or stool turning into pottery white, etc.; in severe cases, symptoms such as liver palms, spider nevi, enlarged liver, pain in the liver area, etc. will appear; the cause is determined by the results of auxiliary examinations such as laboratory and imaging studies, including prehepatic, liver itself, and biliary system lesions.

It can be seen that the liver is vital to the body, which requires us to pay attention to the liver on a daily basis and protect the liver through a reasonable diet, regular rest, proper exercise, regular physical examinations, etc. As the pace of modern life becomes faster and faster, staying up late and drinking has become the norm for most people. More and more people's bodies are in overdraft mode, and the disease-prone group is gradually becoming younger; in the face of this severe situation, first of all, each of us should start with ourselves, by maintaining a normal weight, staying away from various instruments that may be contaminated by blood, quitting smoking and drinking, paying attention to sleep time, and paying attention to food hygiene, etc., to achieve the effect of preventing liver disease.

03

After a physical examination, I found that my bilirubin was high. What should I do?

When the liver is in a "red alert" state, after being diagnosed by a professional clinician, in addition to receiving the necessary relevant diagnosis and treatment plans, it is also worthwhile to study how to properly maintain the liver. Here, I have listed a few suggestions on how to maintain the liver:

First, the diet should be light and nutritious. For example, bean products, fish, vegetables, fruits, etc. contain a lot of vitamins, have good antioxidant function and are easy to digest and absorb; it is advisable to eat more mushrooms, sesame, walnuts, dates, lean meat and other foods containing high-quality protein, but remember not to eat animal liver foods to avoid increasing the burden on the liver.

Second, relevant studies have shown that ethanol in alcohol is the most direct and greatest harm to the liver. More than 80% of heavy drinkers have a certain degree of fatty liver, 10% to 30% may develop alcoholic hepatitis, and 10% to 20% will develop cirrhosis. Therefore, patients with liver disease must quit drinking.

Third, you should drink more water. Drinking water can replenish body fluids, enhance blood circulation, and promote metabolism. Drinking more water can also promote the secretion of glands, especially digestive glands, pancreatic juice and bile in patients with high bilirubin. This is beneficial to digestion, absorption and waste elimination, and can reduce the accumulation of metabolic products and toxins, and reduce damage to the liver.

Fourth, moderate exercise can promote the body's metabolism, enhance blood circulation, and help excrete waste products from liver and kidney metabolism faster, such as walking, outing, playing ball, and practicing Tai Chi, etc. However, it should be noted that people with poor liver function should not engage in strenuous exercise.

As long as we persevere in practicing the above guidance on healthy lifestyle, I believe it will not only greatly reduce the incidence rate, improve people's physical immunity and increase the quality of life; it will also be conducive to creating a beautiful, harmonious, healthy and stable social atmosphere, and creating a happy society of "healthy for everyone and happy for every family".

Author: Huang Zhaojie, Academic Specialist, Beijing Branch, Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd.

Review | Ding Yinghong, Associate Chief Physician, Department of Gastroenterology, Air Force General Hospital, China Medical University

Editor | Jiang Fan

Editor | Ding Zong

This article is produced by the "Science Rumor Refutation Platform" (ID: Science_Facts). Please indicate the source when reprinting.

The pictures in this article are from the copyright gallery and are not authorized for reproduction.