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Feb 2023

Jaundice: Symptoms, causes and treatment

Posted By Suborna Fermi Posted on Feb 03, 2023

Jaundice is a severe condition in which a person’s mucus membrane, skin and white of the eyes turn yellow. This yellow color is the result of elevated bilirubin, which is a yellow bile pigment. Bile is a kind of fluid which secrete through the liver. Jaundice can occur due to several underlying health disorders, mainly conditions concerning the liver and bile duct.

Jaundice can affect people of all ages, especially newborns and old adults are most likely at increased risk of having this disorder. There are many reasons for jaundice, and the most common causes are:

  • Malaria
  • Thalassemia
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Autoimmune disorders
  • Viral hepatitis
  • Gallstones
  • Gallbladder cancer
  • Inflammation of the gallbladder
  • Pancreatic tumor
  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Rare genetic metabolic disease
  • Alcoholic liver disorder
  • Medicines including oral contraceptives, penicillins, chlorpromazine and anabolic steroids

Common symptoms of jaundice:

  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Change in skin color
  • Dark urine
  • Pale stool
  • Diarrhea
  • Loss of appetite
  • Abdominal pain
  • Weight loss

Patients with jaundice usually experience the above mentioned symptoms. Some patients may or may not notice any symptoms of having jaundice. Also, the acuteness of the symptoms depends on the type and underlying cause of jaundice.

Diagnosis of jaundice:

Healthcare providers usually diagnose jaundice by examining the symptoms of liver disease. Then your doctor would suggest you take a complete blood count along with a liver profile test to understand the levels of bilirubin in your blood, and liver profile test price also nominal. For further diagnosis, your doctor may recommend going for an ultrasonography, computer tomography scanning and liver biopsy.

Treatment of jaundice:

The treatment of jaundice depends on the type and cause of the jaundice. Old adults do not require much treatment for jaundice. But jaundice in infants can be deadly. Hemolytic jaundice is usually treated with iron supplements, while steroids and antiviral medicines are used to treat hepatocellular jaundice.

Due to the fact that there are so many reasons for jaundice, it would be difficult to take any specific preventive measures. However, the most important thing to prevent jaundice is to first prevent yourself from getting any hepatitis infection. Apart from that, it is important to maintain a healthy weight, manage cholesterol levels, do exercise regularly, and limit your alcohol consumption to prevent jaundice.