Have you ever seen anyone with yellow eyes and skin? And you wonder what is the reason behind this condition? You might have heard the word jaundice, but you don’t know the exact cause behind it. Come and let’s find out the reasons behind it.
Yellowing of the skin, the white part of the eyes, and mucous membranes of the body are due to a condition known as Jaundice. This medical condition develops because of the high levels of bilirubin, a yellow-orange waste material, in the blood. It is basically a symptom of underlying disease that should be ruled out to treat jaundice. You can consult the best liver specialist in Lahore if you have any symptoms like jaundice.
Common symptoms of Jaundice:
The most common symptoms are;
- Yellow coloration of the skin, white part of the eye, mucous membrane
- Itchiness on body
- Dark urine
- White stool
How jaundice occurs?
Bilirubin is a waste material that is produced during the break down of the red blood cells. Normally, bilirubin passes through the liver and combined with other chemicals to form conjugated bilirubin. This conjugated bilirubin combines with the digestive juice ‘bile’, and then it is excreted out of the body. The dark brown color of feces is due to this type of bilirubin.
If the liver does not perform its proper function or due to any other reason, this bilirubin level increases in the blood and it leaks into the surrounding tissues causing yellow coloration of the skin and eyes.
What are the Risk factors behind Jaundice?
Jaundice usually occurs due to the underlying disorder that either causes the high production of bilirubin or blocking the passage of bilirubin to pass out of the liver.
Here are some common risk factors behind this condition;
- Acute hepatic inflammation: This usually happens due to viral hepatitis, and it prevents the liver to produce conjugate bilirubin and hence, causing high levels of bilirubin
- Obstruction of the bile duct: This hinders the excretion of bile and conjugated bilirubin. It may occur due to tumors.
- Inflammation of bile duct: This prevents the excretion of bile and bilirubin
- Cholestasis: In this condition, the bile flow from the liver is interrupted causing jaundice. It also occurs in pregnancy
- Hemolytic anemia: In this condition, the abnormally high level of break down of red blood cells causes an increase in the level of bilirubin in the body.
- Syndromes: Gilbert’s syndrome, Crigler-Najjar Syndrome, Dubin-Johnson syndrome, are different syndromes that include symptoms like jaundice in them.
Treatment of Jaundice:
The treatment depends upon the underlying condition that is causing it. Some of the common treatments for jaundice are;
- Antiviral and steroids medications for hepatitis inducing jaundice
- Treatment of anemia in hemolytic anemia
- Surgical procedures or stenting to remove the obstruction
- If jaundice is caused by medications, then changing the medicines to alternative options.
It is important to maintain liver health for preventing jaundice like conditions. The liver is the largest and most vital gland of the human body. Its proper function is essential for the digestive and other systems of the body. Ignoring the conditions like jaundice is not a wise option. So it is necessary to consult a doctor if you are facing any symptoms like mentioned above.
You can consult the best liver specialist in Lahore through Marham. During this pandemic, Marham is providing an online consultation service through which you can find and consult your health specialist while sitting in your homes.