Amylase blood test
In short
A typical adult amylase result is 28 to 100 U/L. A result above three times the upper limit, with belly pain, is the classic reason doctors act fast. Smaller rises are common and often come from outside the pancreas. Always read your result against the range printed on your own report.
A digestive enzyme from the pancreas and salivary glands.
Amylase helps digest starches and comes mainly from the pancreas, a gland behind the stomach, and the salivary (spit) glands. It rises within hours when the pancreas is inflamed, but many other things can raise it too. That is why doctors usually check lipase alongside it.
Is my Amylase high or low?
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Typical range
| For | Range | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Adults | 28–100 | U/L |
Typical ranges for adults. Labs differ a little, so the range printed next to your result is the one to go by.
If your Amylase is high
A result above three times the upper limit, with belly pain, is the classic reason doctors act fast. Smaller rises are common and often come from outside the pancreas.
Common reasons
- A salivary gland problem, such as mumps or a blocked saliva duct
- Macroamylase, a harmless large form of amylase the kidneys can't clear
- Long-term kidney disease, which slows how fast amylase is cleared
- Heavy drinking in the days before the test
- Gallstones or a gallbladder attack
- Less often: swelling of the pancreas (pancreatitis), usually with strong belly pain
- Less often: a bowel blockage or a growth in the pancreas
If your Amylase is low
A low amylase is uncommon and is rarely a concern on its own.
Common reasons
- Normal variation between people
- Very high blood fats (triglycerides), which can make the test read falsely low
- Less often: lasting pancreas damage, such as long-term pancreatitis or cystic fibrosis
- Less often: liver disease
What can throw it off
Alcohol in the day before the test can raise amylase.
Questions to take to your appointment
- 1Is my lipase high too?
- 2How far above the upper limit is my result?
- 3Could my salivary glands or kidneys explain this?
Read together with
Doctors rarely read Amylase alone. These usually sit next to it.
- LipaseA fat-digesting enzyme made almost only by the pancreas.
- CreatinineA waste product from muscles that the kidneys clear.
- ALTAn enzyme that lives mostly inside liver cells.
- TriglyceridesThe main type of fat carried in the blood.
- CalciumA mineral that builds bones and keeps nerves and muscles working.
Quick answers
What is the amylase blood test?
Amylase: A digestive enzyme from the pancreas and salivary glands. Amylase helps digest starches and comes mainly from the pancreas, a gland behind the stomach, and the salivary (spit) glands. It rises within hours when the pancreas is inflamed, but many other things can raise it too. That is why doctors usually check lipase alongside it.
What is a normal amylase level?
For most adults, amylase is typically 28 to 100 U/L. Labs differ a little, so the range printed next to your result is the one to go by.
What does a high amylase mean?
A result above three times the upper limit, with belly pain, is the classic reason doctors act fast. Smaller rises are common and often come from outside the pancreas. Common reasons include a salivary gland problem, such as mumps or a blocked saliva duct; macroamylase, a harmless large form of amylase the kidneys can't clear; long-term kidney disease, which slows how fast amylase is cleared; and heavy drinking in the days before the test. A doctor reads it together with your other results and how you feel.
What does a low amylase mean?
A low amylase is uncommon and is rarely a concern on its own. Common reasons include normal variation between people; very high blood fats (triglycerides), which can make the test read falsely low; less often: lasting pancreas damage, such as long-term pancreatitis or cystic fibrosis; and less often: liver disease.
What can affect my amylase result?
Alcohol in the day before the test can raise amylase.
What should I ask my doctor about my amylase?
Questions worth taking to the appointment: Is my lipase high too? How far above the upper limit is my result? Could my salivary glands or kidneys explain this?
What this page can’t do
It reads each number on its own.
Doctors read results together — ALT with AST, ferritin with hemoglobin, TSH with free T4. A pattern says more than any single flag.
It doesn't know you.
Your age, your medicines, how you feel and your last result all change what a number means.
It doesn't remember.
Close this page and your results are gone. That's on purpose: nothing was ever sent to us.
We also make Vita: Health Coach, an app for those parts. It reads your whole report with your medicines and history in mind, answers follow-up questions in plain words, and keeps your reports in one place — for you and for the people you look after.
Vita: Health Coach on the App StoreSources
- Mayo Clinic Laboratories — Amylase, Total, Serum
- MedlinePlus — Amylase test
- StatPearls — Acute pancreatitis
Stuck on a word? See the medical words. How we choose our sources. More about Vita Health Coach.