Jaundice

Jaundice is a yellowish discoloration affecting the skin, whites of the eyes (sclerae), and other mucous membranes in the body. It is brought on brought on by increased bilirubin levels in the blood, a condition known as hyperbilirubinemia. This causes the extracellular fluids in the body to also have abnormally high levels of bilirubin.

Symptoms

Jaundice may produce a range of symptoms, some of which include:

Dark urine colors
Itching (pruritis)
Light stool colors
Signs of liver disease or cirrhosis (if due to liver disease)
Vitamin deficiencies (if due to bile duct blockage)
Yellow mucous membranes
Yellow sclerae
Yellow skin

Causes

Jaundice may be caused by a variety of conditions. Some are: increased bilirubin production, acute liver inflammation (acute viral hepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis, etc.), chronic liver diseases (alcoholic liver disease with cirrhosis, autoimmune hepatitis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C), infiltrative liver diseases (liver cancer, hemochromatosis, Wilson's disease, alpha-one antitrypsin deficiency), bile duct inflammation (primary bilary cirrhosis, sclerosing cholangitis), genetic disorders (Dubin-Johnson syndrome, Rotor's syndrome), certain medications, as well as other conditions.

Neonatal jaundice is a type in newborn infants. It typically begins within the first few days after birth. This type of jaundice usually suggests a more serious underlying cause.



Diagnosis and Treatment

Jaundice is diagnosed by a doctor or medical professional. Certain considerations and tests may be used such as: accounting for personal history, blood tests, physical examination, liver biopsy, ultrasonography, computerized tomography (CT scan or CAT scan), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).

Jaundice may often be treated through treatment of the underlying medical condition. Therefore, it assists in treatment to discover the particular cause of the jaundice.