If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Jaundice is a term used to describe a yellowish tinge to the skin and the whites of the eye. Body fluids may also be yellow. The color of the skin and whites of the eyes will vary depending on levels of bilirubin. Bilirubin is a waste material found in the blood. Moderate levels lead to a yellow color, while very high levels will appear brown.
About 60 percent of all infants born in the United States have jaundice. However, jaundice can happen to people of all ages and is normally the result of an underlying condition.
Jaundice normally indicates a problem with the liver or bile duct. In this article, Medical News Today will discuss what jaundice is, why it happens, and how it is diagnosed and treated.
Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and the whites of eyes that happens when the body does not process bilirubin properly. This may be due to a problem in the liver. Bilirubin is a yellow-colored waste material that remains in the bloodstream after iron is removed from the blood. The liver filters waste out from the blood. When bilirubin reaches the liver, other chemicals attach to it. A substance called conjugated bilirubin results.
The liver produces bile, a digestive juice. Conjugated bilirubin enters the bile, then it leaves the body. It is this type of bilirubin that gives feces its brown color. If there is too much bilirubin, it can leak into the surrounding tissues.
This is known as hyperbilirubinemia, and it causes the yellow color in the skin and eyes. Jaundice most often happens as a result of an underlying disorder that either causes the production of too much bilirubin or prevents the liver from getting rid of it. Both of these result in bilirubin being deposited in tissues. Underlying conditions that may cause jaundice include:.
Jaundice is related to liver function. It is essential that people maintain the health of this vital organ by eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and not consuming more than the recommended amounts of alcohol. Common symptoms of jaundice include :. The itching that accompanies jaundice can sometimes be so intense that patients have been known to scratch their skin raw, experience insomnia , or, in extreme cases, even have thoughts of suicide.
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