Jaundice

Overview

Jaundice is a medical condition where the colour of your skin or the whites of your eye turn yellow.

This happens when you have too much of a substance call ""bilorubin"" in your blood.

Causes

Jaundice is often caused by a disease in the liver, bile duct, gallbladder or pancreas.

Here are some diseases/factors related to the liver, bile duct, gallbladder or pancreas that can lead to Jaundice:

Gallstones which are small stones that form inside the gallbladder and can block the bile duct
Liver infections from viruses such as Hepatitis A, and chronic Hepatitis B and C
Cancers such as gallbladder or pancreatic cancer can result in jaundice
Gilbert syndrome, which is a common liver condition that is hereditary (runs in families), can sometimes result in jaundice when a person is under stress, takes certain medicines, or has an infection
Consuming certain drugs (medicines, herbal supplements or illegal drugs) can cause liver damage
Heavy alcohol use can cause liver damage

Signs & Symptoms

Prevention

Since there are many causes for jaundice, there are no specific prevention guidelines.

The following are some helpful tips you can refer to:

Get vaccinations against Hepatitis A and B viruses to reduce your risk of hepatitis
Keep your weight and cholesterol levels healthy
Drink in moderation and avoid alcohol if you have a family history of hepatitis or liver conditions

Detection & Treatment

How Is Jaundice Diagnosed?

Jaundice can be diagnosed/identified from your symptoms, medical history, physical examination and the results of tests.

Common tests include:

Bilirubin tests which measure the level of bilirubin in your blood
Blood tests for hepatitis
Ultrasound/CT scans which allow your physician to assess how healthy your liver, gallbladder and pancreas are
Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) which allows your physician to assess how healthy your bile duct is

What Treatment Options Are Available?

Depending on the cause of jaundice, some available treatments could include:

Surgery to remove the gallbladder
Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) which is a procedure where your doctor will insert a flexible tube down your throat to remove the gallstones in your bile duct (ERCP is a procedure that can be used to remove gallstones from the bile duct)

Additional Resources

Specialties & Services