00:00Your blood test shows that your albumin is low,
00:02but your doctor seems concerned more about other results.
00:07They did not prescribe any medication,
00:09and they may not even have mentioned it to you.
00:13So, should you just ignore it?
00:15Well, not so fast.
00:18A low albumin level is usually not an emergency by itself.
00:23It is not like a dangerously high potassium level
00:26that could quickly affect your heart.
00:29Albumin is different.
00:30It is more like a warning light on the dashboard of your car.
00:35The light may not tell you exactly what is wrong,
00:39but it tells you that something might need to be checked.
00:43So, what exactly is albumin?
00:46Albumin is the most common protein in the liquid part of your blood.
00:53It is made by your liver, and it has several important jobs.
00:58One of its main jobs is to help keep fluid inside the blood vessels.
01:05Think of albumin like a sponge that helps hold water in your bloodstream.
01:11When albumin becomes very low,
01:15more fluid may move out of the blood vessels and collect in the tissues.
01:22This can cause swelling in the legs, feet, or other parts of the body.
01:27In some illnesses, fluid may collect in the abdomen.
01:33In heart failure, fluid may also build up in the legs, in the lungs,
01:40and breathing may be difficult.
01:43Low albumin is usually not the only reason this happens,
01:48but it can certainly make the problem worse.
01:52Albumin also helps protect the thin lining inside your blood vessels.
01:58This lining helps control how much fluid and protein moves in and out of the bloodstream.
02:07Scientists are still studying exactly how the albumin affects this lining,
02:12but we know albumin plays a role in keeping blood vessels working normally.
02:19Albumin also carries many substances through the blood.
02:25It carries hormones, vitamins, minerals, and some medications.
02:32Many medications attach themselves to albumin as they travel through the bloodstream.
02:39When albumin is very low,
02:41more of the medication may remain unattached or free in the blood.
02:47For certain medications,
02:49this can affect how well the medication works
02:52or increase the chance of side effects.
02:56But this does not happen with every medication.
03:00It depends on the drug and how low the albumin level is.
03:06Some water pills may also work less efficiently in people with very low albumin,
03:14although this does not happen in every patient.
03:18Now, you may have heard that low albumin means you are not eating enough protein.
03:24Sometimes, poor nutrition can play a part,
03:29especially when it is severe or has lasted for a long time.
03:35But albumin is not simply in nutrition tests.
03:40A person may have a low albumin level even if they are eating enough.
03:47Inflammation, infection, liver disease, kidney disease,
03:52and extra fluid in the body can all lower the albumin.
03:58That is why doctors should not use albumin alone
04:01to decide whether someone is malnourished.
04:05Low albumin is also common during certain illnesses.
04:10The albumin can be low if there is a serious illness.
04:13When the body is fighting an infection, healing from surgery,
04:18or dealing with inflammation, albumin often falls.
04:24Albumin is called a negative acute phase reactant.
04:28That is a complicated way of saying that the albumin level often drops
04:33when the body is under stress.
04:35In hospitalized patients, a very low or falling albumin level
04:39may be a sign that the illness is more serious.
04:43It cannot tell doctors exactly what will happen,
04:46and it cannot be used alone to predict someone's recovery.
04:50But it can be one clue that helps doctors understand
04:54how sick a patient may be.
04:57So what causes albumin to become low?
05:00There are five main reasons.
05:02Number one, the liver is making less albumin.
05:07Albumin is made in the liver.
05:09If the liver is badly damaged,
05:12it may not be able to make enough albumin.
05:15This can happen in advanced liver disease,
05:18including severe cirrhosis.
05:21Severe starvation or long-term protein shortages
05:25may also lower albumin production,
05:28especially when another illness is present.
05:31Number two, albumin is being lost through the kidneys.
05:37Healthy kidneys normally keep albumin in the bloodstream.
05:42But certain kidney diseases allow large amounts of albumin
05:46to leak into the urine.
05:49When this happens,
05:51the albumin level in the blood may fall,
05:54and the patient may develop swelling.
05:56A urine test can help show whether this is happening.
06:03Number three,
06:05albumin is being lost somewhere else.
06:08Albumin can also be lost through the intestines.
06:13Certain bowel diseases
06:14cause protein to leak into the digestive system
06:18instead of staying in the blood.
06:22Large burns,
06:24severe skin problems,
06:26open wounds,
06:28and heavy drainage from wounds
06:30can also cause protein loss.
06:33Number four,
06:35inflammation causes albumin
06:38to leave the bloodstream.
06:40During serious inflammation,
06:43infection,
06:44burns,
06:45surgery,
06:46or injury,
06:48blood vessels may become more leaky.
06:52Albumin can then
06:53move out of the bloodstream
06:55and into the surrounding tissues.
07:00The albumin may still be somewhere in the body,
07:04but less of it is in the blood
07:07where the test measures it.
07:10Number five,
07:12too much fluid dilutes the albumin.
07:16Sometimes,
07:18the body holds on to too much water.
07:20This may happen in heart failure,
07:24kidney disease,
07:25liver disease,
07:27or after receiving large amounts of fluids
07:30through an IV.
07:32The extra water
07:33can dilute the albumin in the blood,
07:36making the level appear lower.
07:40Serious illnesses may also cause
07:43albumin to break down more quickly than usual.
07:47So,
07:48what should you ask when your albumin is low?
07:52First,
07:53you want to know,
07:54how low is it?
07:56A slightly low albumin level
07:58may mean something very different
08:01from a severely low level.
08:04Second,
08:05is this the first layer result
08:07or has it been low for a long time?
08:11Third,
08:13is the albumin continuing to fall?
08:16Fourth,
08:18is protein leaking into the urine
08:21or being lost through the intestines?
08:24And finally,
08:26are there any signs of liver disease,
08:29kidney disease,
08:31inflammation,
08:32infection,
08:33or fluid buildup?
08:36The main point is this.
08:39Low albumin
08:40is not a disease by itself.
08:43It does not always mean
08:45you're malnourished.
08:46And it does not always mean
08:48you need albumin treatment.
08:51That it should not
08:52automatically be ignored.
08:55A low albumin level
08:57may be an important clue
08:59that something else is going on
09:02inside the body.
09:02I hope you found this useful.
09:05If you did,
09:06like and share the video
09:07with your friends and family.
09:08You can support this channel
09:10by subscribing.
09:12Until the next video,
09:13stay healthy
09:14and stay safe.
Comments