Bilirubin is an orange-yellow pigment that occurs naturally in your blood. It forms after your red blood cells are broken down and is sent to your gallbladder, bile ducts, and liver. Your liver helps excrete it by changing its chemical make-up so that most of it can pass through your stool as bile.
What happens when you have low levels of bilirubin? Is it a cause for concern? In this article, we take a closer look at what is considered a low bilirubin level, the causes, and the symptoms you should be on the lookout for. Here’s everything you should know…
Types of Bilirubin
If you require a bilirubin test, you should know there may be a few kinds of bilirubin that show up on the test. First, unconjugated (indirect) bilirubin forms when hemoglobin from red blood cells is broken down and bound to a protein in the blood called albumin. Then it’s sent to the liver.
Next, conjugated (direct) bilirubin forms when bilirubin binds to glucuronic acid in the liver before it is passed out of the body through your stool. Both unconjugated (indirect) and conjugated (direct) bilirubin contribute to your total bilirubin, which refers to all the bilirubin in your bloodstream.