The CDC is the nation's health protection agency. Their website offers information about the signs, symptoms, diagnosis, risk factors, and treatment of jaundice. Cleveland Clinic. Cleveland Clinic, a nonprofit academic medical center, is one of the largest and most respected hospitals in the United States and a leader in research, education, and health information. Their website offers information about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of jaundice in adults.
March of Dimes. The nonprofit organization focusing on mothers and babies has information about the causes of jaundice, along with diagnosis and treatment. By subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Health Topics. Health Tools. Reviewed: February 1, Medically Reviewed. Jaundice is a condition that causes the skin and the whites of the eyes to turn yellow, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC. It occurs when a yellow substance called bilirubin builds up in the blood. Bilirubin forms when hemoglobin the protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen is broken down, per the Merck Manual. It binds with bile in the liver and moves into the digestive tract, where it is mostly eliminated in stool.
A small amount is eliminated in urine. However, if bilirubin cannot travel through the liver and bile ducts quickly enough, it accumulates in the blood and is deposited in the skin, eyes, and other tissues, which leads to jaundice. Infants Typically, the telltale yellow or orange coloring of jaundice first appears on a baby's face, then it migrates down the body to the chest, abdomen, arms, and legs, notes the CDC.
The whites of the eyes can also take on a yellowish hue. Signs in babies that warrant a same-day visit to the doctor include:. Certain adults are also susceptible to jaundice, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Per the Merck Manual , other signs of jaundice in adults include:. Infants There are a few different reasons babies might get jaundice.
Once the baby is born, their liver takes over. Suboptimal Intake Jaundice Also dubbed breastfeeding jaundice, this tends to occur during the baby's first week, when they may not be receiving an optimal amount of breast milk. That initial bowel movement is an important way to usher bilirubin out of the body, notes the CDC.
Blood Type If a mother and baby have different incompatible blood types, the mother's body makes antibodies that attack the baby's red blood cells, making the baby more likely to get jaundice, according to KidsHealth.
Other Underlying Disorders Here, jaundice can surface either earlier or much later than the more prevalent forms of newborn jaundice, per the Mayo Clinic. Some of the conditions that may cause jaundice include:.
Bruised at Birth A baby born with bruises is more likely to get jaundice, because when large bruises heal, they can cause high levels of bilirubin. Jaundice in adults is usually brought on by reactions to drugs or underlying disorders that damage the liver, interfere with the flow of bile, or trigger the destruction of red blood cells, according to the Merck Manual. Per the Cleveland Clinic, causes of jaundice in adults include, but not limited to:. Hereditary disorders that interfere with how the body processes bilirubin, such as Gilbert syndrome and Dubin-Johnson syndrome, can also cause jaundice, but this is less common, according to the Merck Manual.
Infants The CDC asserts that newborns should be checked for jaundice at least every 8 to 12 hours in the first 48 hours of life and then again before 5 days old. For adults, the yellowing of jaundice may be easy to spot, but zeroing in on the underlying cause requires a physical exam. According to the Merck Manual , further testing may include:. Newborn jaundice is not harmful in most cases, and usually gets better without treatment, notes MedlinePlus.
However, its causes and complications are the focus of treatment and management, per the Cleveland Clinic. For formula-fed infants, jaundice usually subsides by two weeks, according to HealthyChildren. In this article, Medical News Today will discuss what jaundice is, why it happens, and how it is diagnosed and treated. Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and the whites of eyes that happens when the body does not process bilirubin properly.
This may be due to a problem in the liver. Bilirubin is a yellow-colored waste material that remains in the bloodstream after iron is removed from the blood. The liver filters waste out from the blood. When bilirubin reaches the liver, other chemicals attach to it. A substance called conjugated bilirubin results.
The liver produces bile, a digestive juice. Conjugated bilirubin enters the bile, then it leaves the body. It is this type of bilirubin that gives feces its brown color. If there is too much bilirubin, it can leak into the surrounding tissues. This is known as hyperbilirubinemia, and it causes the yellow color in the skin and eyes. Jaundice most often happens as a result of an underlying disorder that either causes the production of too much bilirubin or prevents the liver from getting rid of it.
Both of these result in bilirubin being deposited in tissues. Underlying conditions that may cause jaundice include:. Jaundice is related to liver function. It is essential that people maintain the health of this vital organ by eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and not consuming more than the recommended amounts of alcohol.
Common symptoms of jaundice include :. The itching that accompanies jaundice can sometimes be so intense that patients have been known to scratch their skin raw, experience insomnia , or, in extreme cases, even have thoughts of suicide. When complications happen, this is usually because of the underlying problem, not the jaundice itself.
For example, if an obstructed bile duct leads to jaundice, uncontrolled bleeding may result. This is because the blockage leads a shortage of vitamins needed for clotting. Jaundice is a common health issue in newborn infants. Around 60 percent of newborns experience jaundice, and this increases to 80 percent of premature infants born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Red blood cells in the body of an infant are frequently broken down and replaced.
This causes the production of more bilirubin. Also, the livers of infants are less developed and, therefore, less effective at filtering bilirubin from the body. Symptoms will usually resolve without treatment within 2 weeks.
However, infants with extremely high bilirubin levels will require treatment with either a blood transfusion or phototherapy. Disorders that cause excessive breakdown of red blood cells hemolysis often cause jaundice see Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia Autoimmune hemolytic anemia is a group of disorders characterized by a malfunction of the immune system that produces autoantibodies, which attack red blood cells as if they were substances Hemolysis is the breakdown of red blood cells.
This disorder Jaundice is obvious, but identifying its cause requires a doctor's examination, blood tests Liver Blood Tests Liver tests are blood tests that represent a noninvasive way to screen for the presence of liver disease for example, hepatitis in donated blood and to measure the severity and progress of A tendency to bruise or to bleed easily, sometimes resulting in a reddish purple rash of tiny dots or larger splotches which indicate bleeding in the skin.
If people have any warning signs, they should see a doctor as soon as possible. People with no warning signs should see a doctor within a few days. Doctors first ask questions about the person's symptoms and medical history. Doctors then do a physical examination. What they find during the history and physical examination often suggests a cause and the tests that may need to be done see table Some Causes and Features of Jaundice Some Causes and Features of Jaundice In jaundice, the skin and whites of the eyes look yellow.
Doctors ask when the jaundice started and how long it has been present. They also ask when urine started to look dark which usually occurs before jaundice develops. People are asked about other symptoms, such as itching, fatigue, changes in stool, and abdominal pain. Doctors are particularly interested in symptoms that suggest a serious cause.
For example, sudden loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, pain in the abdomen, and fever suggest hepatitis, particularly in young people and people with risk factors for hepatitis. Fever and severe, constant pain in the upper right part of the abdomen suggest acute cholangitis infection of the bile ducts , usually in people with a blockage in a bile duct.
Acute cholangitis is considered a medical emergency. Knowing whether family members have also had jaundice or other liver disorders can help doctors identify hereditary liver disorders. Because hepatitis Overview of Hepatitis Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver.
Hepatitis can be Acute short-lived read more is a common cause, doctors ask particularly about conditions that increase the risk of hepatitis, such as. Living in or working at an institution with long-term residents, such as a mental health care facility, prison, or long-term care facility. During the physical examination, doctors look for signs of serious disorders such as fever, very low blood pressure, and a rapid heart rate and for signs that liver function is greatly impaired such as easy bruising, a rash of tiny dots or splotches, or changes in mental function.
They gently press on the abdomen to check for lumps, tenderness, swelling, and other abnormalities, such as an enlarged liver or spleen. Blood tests to evaluate how well the liver is functioning and whether it is damaged liver tests. Usually imaging tests such as ultrasonography Ultrasonography Imaging tests of the liver, gallbladder, and biliary tract include ultrasonography, radionuclide scanning, computed tomography CT , magnetic resonance imaging MRI , endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography Sometimes biopsy Biopsy of the Liver Doctors can obtain a sample of liver tissue during exploratory surgery, but more often they obtain a sample by inserting a hollow needle through the person's skin and into the liver.
This type Liver tests Liver Blood Tests Liver tests are blood tests that represent a noninvasive way to screen for the presence of liver disease for example, hepatitis in donated blood and to measure the severity and progress of These tests help doctors determine whether the cause is liver malfunction or a blocked bile duct.
If a bile duct is blocked, imaging tests, such as ultrasonography, are usually required. Other blood tests are done based on the disorder doctors suspect and the results of the examination and the initial tests.
They may include. Examination of a blood sample under a microscope to check for excessive destruction of red blood cells. If imaging is needed, ultrasonography of the abdomen is often done first.
It can usually detect blockages in the bile ducts. If ultrasonography shows a blockage in a bile duct, other tests may be needed to determine the cause. Typically, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography MRCP Magnetic Resonance Imaging Imaging tests of the liver, gallbladder, and biliary tract include ultrasonography, radionuclide scanning, computed tomography CT , magnetic resonance imaging MRI , endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography MRCP is MRI of the bile and pancreatic ducts, done with specialized techniques that make the fluid in the ducts appear bright and the surrounding tissues appear dark.
For ERCP, a flexible viewing tube endoscope is inserted through the mouth and into the small intestine, and a radiopaque contrast agent is injected through the tube into the bile and pancreatic ducts. Then x-rays are taken. When available, MRCP is usually preferred because it is just as accurate and is safer. But ERCP may be used because it enables doctors to take a biopsy sample, remove a gallstone, or do other procedures. Occasionally, liver biopsy Biopsy of the Liver Doctors can obtain a sample of liver tissue during exploratory surgery, but more often they obtain a sample by inserting a hollow needle through the person's skin and into the liver.
It may be done when certain causes such as viral hepatitis, use of a drug, or exposure to a toxin are suspected or when the diagnosis is unclear after doctors have the results of other tests. Laparoscopy Laparoscopy Laparoscopy is an examination of the abdominal cavity using a fiberoptic instrument inserted through the abdominal wall.
This is a surgical procedure done in an operating room. People are given For this procedure, doctors make a small incision just below the navel and insert a viewing tube laparoscope to examine the liver and gallbladder directly. Rarely, a larger incision is needed a procedure called laparotomy.
For a blocked bile duct, a procedure to open it such as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography [ ERCP Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Imaging tests of the liver, gallbladder, and biliary tract include ultrasonography, radionuclide scanning, computed tomography CT , magnetic resonance imaging MRI , endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography The underlying disorder and any problems it causes are treated as needed.
If jaundice is due to acute viral hepatitis Overview of Acute Viral Hepatitis Acute viral hepatitis is inflammation of the liver caused by infection with one of the five hepatitis viruses. In most people, the inflammation begins suddenly and lasts only a few weeks. However, hepatitis may become chronic, even if the jaundice disappears. Usually, itching gradually disappears as the liver's condition improves. If itching is bothersome, taking cholestyramine by mouth may help. However, cholestyramine is ineffective when a bile duct is completely blocked.
If the cause is a blocked bile duct, a procedure may be done to open the bile duct. This procedure can usually be done during ERCP, using instruments threaded through the endoscope Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Imaging tests of the liver, gallbladder, and biliary tract include ultrasonography, radionuclide scanning, computed tomography CT , magnetic resonance imaging MRI , endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography In older people, the disorder causing jaundice may not cause the same symptoms as it typically does in younger people, or the symptoms may be milder or harder to recognize.
For example, if older people have acute viral hepatitis, they often have much less abdominal pain than younger people. When older people become confused, doctors may mistakenly diagnose dementia and not realize that the cause is hepatic encephalopathy Hepatic Encephalopathy Hepatic encephalopathy is deterioration of brain function that occurs in people with severe liver disease because toxic substances normally removed by the liver build up in the blood and reach That is, doctors may not realize that brain function is deteriorating because the liver is unable to remove toxic substances from the blood as it usually does and, thus, the toxic substances can reach the brain.
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