What Causes Jaundice or Yellow Skin | Symptoms of Jaundice Disease
Jaundice Information:
Jaundice is the condition wherein the skin turns yellow including the white portion of the eyes. The yellow discoloration is more evident in the eyes than in the skin. Jaundice occurring in babies is common because it takes time to make their livers work properly; but in adults, three types of jaundice can occur, such as:
Causes of Jaundice:
Bilirubin is the yellow-like chemical that originates from the red blood cells which becomes fragile after a four-month period.
Jaundice is generally caused when there is a build-up of the substance bilirubin. Accumulation of the substance happens when the red blood cells dies faster than the normal rate, which is usually the case in hemolytic jaundice.
The bilirubin is developed in the liver, and it then enters the bile and then excreted through the feces.
Basically it is the role of the liver to remove bilirubin from the body. In some instances brought about by certain conditions, bilirubin gets stocked up and accumulates and eventually causing jaundice.
The bile duct is responsible for the discharge of bile pigment and bile salts into the intestine. When the bile duct is obstructed, the bile is mixed with the blood and it gives the yellow pigment to the skin. Obstruction can happen when gallstones have been formed and when the liver is inflamed as in the case of obstructive jaundice.
Symptoms of Jaundice:
- Throbbing in the liver area
- Extreme weakness
- Fever
- Headache
- Itching of the skin
- Harsh constipation
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Yellow discoloration of the skin, eyes, tongue and urine
Diseases Causing Jaundice:
- Inflammation of the liver such as alcoholic and acute viral hepatitis because the liver is having difficulty to conjugate and secrete bilirubin.
- Chronic liver disease may cause scarring and cirrhosis and eventually jaundice, seen in most alcoholic liver diseases and in hepatitis B and C.
- Inflammation of the bile ducts caused by primary billiary cirrhosis and some drugs.
- Blocked bile ducts caused by gallstones and pancreatic cancer.
- Genetic disorder such as Gilbert’s syndrome where there is a reduced enzyme activity responsible for the conjugation of glucoronic acid into bilirubin.
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