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Jaundice
Overview:
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.
Signs and 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 and Organs Affected:
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.
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).