Gilbert's Syndrome
What is it?
Bilirubin is a substance formed in the process of red blood cell breakdown in the body. It then travels through the blood, into the liver, gallbladder and out of the body through feces and urine. Gilbert's syndrome is a genetic disorder which is characterized by excess levels of bilirubin due to lack of enzymes which help break it down. It is caused due to a mutation in the UGT1A1 gene. Gilbert's syndrome is quite a common condition, and many people who have it don’t experience any symptoms. Others will mostly experience symptoms when they are sick due to another cause or after experiencing stress, dehydration, menstruation, or fasting.
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Signs & symptoms
In some cases, especially with relatively low levels of bilirubin, there will not be any symptoms.
Higher levels of bilirubin may cause jaundice, which is a yellow discoloring of you skin and the white part of your eyes.
An extremely high levels can have more serious symptoms including fever and chills, tiredness, dark urine and vomiting.
Diagnosis
Physical exam- to check for skin color changes and to detect a possible cause for the high bilirubin levels.
Blood test- to check your bilirubin levels, liver function and blood count as well as genetic testing for the mutated gene.
Treatment
Gilbert's symptoms do not require any treatment.
☝️ This is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision.
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Source of Information - We analyze big data of more than 23 million patients de-identified medical records from the following sources:
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