Jaundice

Jaundice is a medical term that describes the yellowish discoloration of the skin and eyes cause by the accumulation of bilirubin in the skin and conjunctiva of the eye. Jaundice is not a disease in itself, but rather a condition of the body or a symptom that signals something is wrong, and that you need medical attention. The yellow coloring of the skin and eyes is a warning that the blood contains too much bilirubin, a yellowish pigment generated when hemoglobin, the red material in red blood cells, is processed by the liver.

Normally, bilirubin mixes with bile in the gallbladder and is eliminated from your body. When it's not eliminated efficiently, because of infection, obstruction or some problem with your liver, there's a buildup of bilirubin in the blood.

Jaundice can be caused by a number of infections. It is most commonly caused by viral hepatitis, including hepatitis A (spread by contaminated food or water) and hepatitis B (spread by contact with infected bodily fluids: blood transfusions, sexual intercourse, tattooing, body piercing or sharing IV needles). Gallstones might block the flow of bile through ducts between the gallbladder and liver, causing jaundice. Infection and tumor can also block the bile duct. Liver disease, from alcohol abuse, infection or tumor, also can cause jaundice. Hemolytic anemia, a destruction of the red blood cells caused by some diseases and drugs, may result in jaundice.

Jaundice is common in newborn infants, but it usually results from somewhat slow development of liver functioning. This type of jaundice is generally not dangerous and usually clears up on its own.  Jaundice in infants with a blood type incompatible with the mother can be dangerous and often must be treated. The blood type incompatibility is usually a result of Rh factor. The mother is Rh negative, for instance, and the infant is Rh positive. The incompatibility may also be caused by ABO factors. The mother is blood type O and the baby is blood type A or B, or the mother is either A and the baby B, or the mother B and the baby A.

What to Do

Decrease your risk of jaundice by avoiding restaurants or other places that appear unclean, avoiding IV drug use and alcohol abuse, and by using condoms when having sex with a partner who could be infected with hepatitis. See your doctor if you have any of the symptoms of jaundice (your skin and the whites of your eyes are turning yellow), especially if you have any risk factors for jaundice: you're an IV drug user, you've been exposed to recent infection, you've had a recent blood transfusion, or you have gallstones.

Children should be immunized routinely against hepatitis A and B. At-risk adults and adults in certain professions such as food handling should be immunized against either A or B or both, depending on their situation. This will prevent the types of hepatitis for which immunization is available.

Use Medicine Effectively

Take medication as prescribed by your physician and report any changes or worsening of your symptoms to the doctor.

Special Concerns for Children With Jaundice

Frequently, newborns have jaundice in their first week of life. In this case, jaundice usually is caused by a slight but normal delay in full liver function. Most of these cases clear up quickly on their own. Still, it's important to monitor these infants, so call your newborn's doctor if you notice any jaundice.

Self-care Steps for Jaundice

• Be sure you have any blood work done that your doctor recommends and understand that treatment can vary, depending on the cause of your jaundice.

• Be aware that even when you begin to feel better, the yellowish color may take some time to disappear.