Jaundice Causes and Symptoms

Jaundice is the medical term that describes the yellowing of the skin and eyes. Jaundice itself is not a disease, but is a symptom of several possible underlying diseases. Jaundice forms when there is too much bilirubin in the system. Bilirubin is a yellow pigment created by the decomposition of dead red blood cells in the liver. Normally, the liver removes bilirubin along with red blood cells. Jaundice may indicate a serious problem with the function of red blood cells, liver, gall bladder or pancreas.

Symptoms

Common symptoms of jaundice include:

• The skin and eyes with yellow tones characterize the jaundice. In severe cases, the whites of the eyes may turn brown or orange.
• Fatigue
• Abdominal pain
• Weight loss
• Vomiting
• Temperature

If you only have yellow skin, it could be because you have too much beta-carotene in your system. Beta carotene is an antioxidant that is found in foods like carrots, pumpkins and sweet potatoes. An increased level of this antioxidant is not a cause of jaundice.

Causes

The old red blood cells move in the liver, where they are broken down.

Bilirubin is the yellow pigment formed by the breaking of these old cells. Jaundice occurs when the liver does not metabolize bilirubin as expected.

The liver may be damaged and may not perform this process. Sometimes, bilirubin simply cannot reach the digestive tract, where it is normally removed from the stool. In other cases, there may be too much bilirubin that tries to enter the liver at the same time or too many red blood cells that die at the same time.

The adult jaundice indicates: 

• Alcohol consumption
• Liver cancer
• Thalassemia
• Cirrhosis
• Gallstones (cholesterol stones from hardened fatty materials or bilirubin-pigmented stones)
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Hepatitis D
• Hepatitis E
• Pancreatic cancer
• G6pd deficiency
• Biliary obstruction (biliary canal)
• Sickle cell anemia
• Acute pancreatitis
• Abo incompatibility reaction
• Drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia
• Yellow fever
• Weil's disease

Other blood disorders, such as hemolytic anemia (the rupture or destruction of red blood cells which causes a reduced number of red blood cells in the circulation, leading to fatigue and weakness)

An adverse reaction or overdose of a drug, such as a paracetamol (Tylenol)

Jaundice is also a common occurrence in newborns, especially premature babies. An excess of bilirubin can develop in newborns because their livers have not yet fully developed. This condition is known as jaundice with breast milk.

Diagnosis

Your doctor will perform blood tests first to determine the cause of jaundice. Not only does a blood test determine the total amount of bilirubin in your body, but it also helps to detect other disease indicators such as hepatitis.

You can use other diagnostic tests, including:

• Liver function test, a series of blood tests that measure the level of certain proteins and enzymes that the liver produces when it is healthy and damaged
• Complete Blood Count (CBC) to see if there is evidence of hemolytic anemia
• Imaging studies, which may include abdominal ultrasound (using high-frequency sound waves to generate images of internal organs) or CT scans
• Liver biopsies, which involve the removal of small samples of liver tissue for microscopic examinations

The severity of jaundice in newborns is generally diagnosed with a blood test. A small blood sample is taken by pricking the finger from the child's foot. The pediatrician will recommend treatment if the results indicate moderate to severe jaundice.

Treatment

Once again, jaundice itself is not a disease, but a symptom of several possible underlying diseases. The type of treatment recommended by the doctor for jaundice depends on his cause. Your doctor will treat the cause of jaundice, not the symptom itself. Once the treatment has begun, the yellow skin will return to its normal state. Most cases of jaundice in newborns are resolved within a week or two.

Moderate jaundice is usually treated with phototherapy in the hospital or at home to help eliminate excess bilirubin.

The light waves used in phototherapy are absorbed into the baby's skin and blood. The light helps the child's body to transform bilirubin into waste products to be eliminated. Common bowel movements with green stools are a common side effect of this therapy. This is just the bilirubin that comes out of the body. Phototherapy can involve the use of a light pad, which mimics natural sunlight and is placed on the child's skin.

Serious cases of jaundice are treated with blood transfusions to remove bilirubin