Jaundice Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

Jaundice is the condition in which yellowish discoloration of skin, eyes, sclera and mucous membrane develops. This discoloration is due to the deposition of pigments and hyperbilirubinemia. All the body fluids or tissue turned yellowish except the brain. Jaundice is not a disease but it is an alarming sign for many other medical conditions.  It is diagnosed when the plasma bilirubin level increases up to 50µmol/L. Bilirubin is a waste material in the blood. When the person develops jaundice, then the complete medical examination is done to understand the root cause of jaundice. The chance of jaundice varies with age, gender, newborns, infants and adults. Almost 20% of infants develop jaundice in the first week of birth.

Types

There are three types of jaundice,

1. Pre-hepatic Jaundice

Pre hepatic jaundice arises from the blood before it enters the liver. In this type, the rate of hemolysis is increased. Hemolysis is the process of breakdown of red blood cells. As a result, hemoglobin is released and this hemoglobin is converted into bilirubin. It is due to malaria, reduced cell life span, thalassemia, anemia and iron storage disease.

2. Intrahepatic Jaundice

Intrahepatic jaundice arises due to the disease of liver parenchyma. Obstruction of small bile ducts occurs in intrahepatic jaundice. It is due to cirrhosis, abnormal liver disease, hepatic tumors, pregnancy, viral infections, gallstones and pancreatitis.

3. Post-hepatic Jaundice

Post hepatic jaundice is also called obstruction jaundice because of obstruction of large bile ducts. Due to this obstruction, bilirubin cannot be evacuated into bile ducts. It is due to pancreatitis, gallstones, pancreas cancer, liver cancer and bile duct cancer.

Symptoms

The most common sign and symptoms of jaundice are,

• Yellowish discoloration of skin, mucous membrane and whites of eyes
• Skin itching
• Dark urine
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Light colored stools
• Weakness
• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue
• Weight loss
• Headache
• Confusion
• Swelling in the abdominal tract

Causes

The main cause of jaundice is excess level of bilirubin in the body. Your liver produces too much bilirubin and is unable to remove it from the blood. In anemia, patients have abnormal rapid rates of destruction of red blood cells. As a result, it releases too much bilirubin into blood. Jaundice can also occur due to the defect in the liver. Due to this defect, bilirubin is not removed from the blood. Jaundice also occurs due to the obstruction of bile ducts. Due to this obstruction, the flow of bile and bilirubin from the liver into the intestine is decreased. As a result the level of bilirubin in the body increases. This obstruction of bile ducts is due to cancer, inflammation of bile ducts and gallstones.

Treatment

The treatment of jaundice depends upon the treatment of the underlying cause. The main focus in jaundice is on treating the symptoms of jaundice. Doctors may prescribe iron supplements to increase the level of iron in case of iron deficiency anemia. In post hepatic jaundice or obstruction jaundice, the treatment depends upon the removal of obstruction or blockage. If the jaundice is due hepatitis then the antiviral medication is prescribed. Steroids are also effective in jaundice due to hepatitis.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the risk factors for jaundice?

Underlying medical conditions such as liver diseases, obstruction in bile duct, anemia, cholestasis and pancreatitis are the risk factors for jaundice.

What are the complications of jaundice?

Complications of jaundice occur due to the underlying cause. Complications can be severe itching and uncontrolled bleeding.

Why is jaundice more commonly developed in neonates or infants?

This is because the liver of infants or neonates is less developed. As a result, their liver is unable to remove excess bilirubin from the body. This excess bilirubin is due to rapid breakdown of red blood cells in infants.