Jaundice refers to a yellowing of the whites of the eyes or the skin. It is often the result of a medical condition that causes a yellow-pigmented compound called bilirubin to build up in the blood. When heme, a component of red blood cells, is broken down in the spleen, liver, or bone marrow , the body releases bilirubin. There are many causes of jaundice. The most common involve conditions that impact organs responsible for digesting and processing bilirubin, such as the:. An estimated 60 percent of newborns experience neonatal jaundice, often because their organs are not developed enough to filter bilirubin from the blood.
In adults, most cases of severe jaundice result from conditions that directly involve the liver or liver cells. Yellow eyes and skin are sometimes unrelated to jaundice.
A person may be consuming excessive amounts of foods or supplements rich in beta-carotene. If a person has yellow eyes or suspects jaundice they should contact a doctor as soon as possible.
Most conditions that cause jaundice require medical treatment. If severe or left untreated, several underlying conditions that cause jaundice can result in complications such tissue damage and organ failure.
While adopting healthy habits and taking supplements may reduce symptoms, jaundice usually only disappears once the underlying condition is treated. Anyone with yellow eyes should talk to a doctor. While not a disease in and of itself, jaundice is a sign that the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts are not functioning as they should.
One function of the liver is to rid the body of bilirubin, an orange-yellow waste compound made up of old or abnormal red blood cells. Under normal circumstances, the liver filters bilirubin from the blood, forming a fluid called bile that flows through bile ducts to the adjacent gallbladder, where it is stored and eventually excreted by the body.
When the liver is compromised and there is a buildup of bilirubin in the blood, and it shows up as a yellow tint to the eyes and skin. Higher concentrations of bilirubin yield a brown shade. The onset of jaundice is gradual and may go unnoticed in the beginning, but it typically shows up first in the whites of the eyes.
Find an optician near you and schedule an appointment. Mild cases of infantile jaundice generally clear up on their own — only about one in 20 affected infants require intervention. The standard treatment for moderate jaundice is light therapy phototherapy to reduce bilirubin levels, and recovery usually is quick. Jaundice is far less common in older children and adults. In these cases, more serious underlying conditions requiring medical treatment usually are suspected.
As with newborns, the liver is the first focus when jaundice occurs in children and adults. Infection or inflammation of the liver hepatitis damages the organ and affects its ability to process bilirubin properly, resulting in hepatocellular jaundice.
If the liver damage has been caused by alcohol use or exposure to toxins, cutting back on or stopping alcohol use and avoiding toxins can prevent further damage. However, in cases of severe liver disease, a liver transplant may be necessary. These cases of jaundice are caused by a blocked bile duct, and surgery is the necessary treatment. During surgery, doctors may need to remove the gallbladder, a section of the bile duct system, and part of the pancreas.
It may be a mild condition, but it could be something more serious. There are many people who say that natural remedies have cured their jaundice. However, none of these treatments are scientifically proven to work. Yellowing of the eyes usually occurs if you have jaundice. This could signal a problem with the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, or other organs. Anicteric sclera means that the white part of your eye is white and healthy in appearance.
But an icteric, or yellow, sclera is cause for concern. High in vitamin B and iron, liver extract sounds like a forgotten miracle treatment. Learn how it's caused and treated, and find tips for preventing it. If you have ascites, you have fluid in the space between the abdominal lining and the organs. It's important to contact your primary care doctor right away if you notice your entire sclera turn yellow. In African Americans, the sclera can have brownish spots or splotches due to high levels of the dark brown pigment called melanin.
This is harmless. Other times, a brown spot is a nevus or freckle on the eye. Sometimes, brown spots are more serious. A precancerous condition called primary acquired melanosis PAM starts with a painless flat brown spot on the eye.
This spot resembles a freckle and changes slowly over time. It typically develops in middle-aged people, and appears in one eye. Left untreated, PAM can become cancerous and life-threatening. Ask your ophthalmologist to take a look at any new brown spots on your eye.
Redness in the eye can be caused by many conditions or injuries. It's important to get redness checked by an ophthalmologist right away, especially if it's accompanied by blurry vision, pain or discharge. A bright red spot on the white of your eye is typically a sign of a subconjunctival hemorrhage.
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