Where does jaundice come from and how to treat it

What is jaundice

Jaundice Adult Jaundice is a condition in which the skin, whites of the eyes and mucous membranes take on a distinct yellowish tinge.

See What Jaundice Looks Like Close

This symptom indicates that the body has accumulated too much bilirubin, a bile pigment that has a characteristic yellow-orange color. If you are not a newborn (jaundice in the first couple of weeks of life is considered Newborn Jaundice), the accumulation of bilirubin always indicates health problems.

Where does bilirubin come from and why does it accumulate

Bilirubin is produced by Jaundice when it breaks down red blood cells (erythrocytes) that carry oxygen. On average, red blood cells live for about 120 days. Then they are replaced by new ones, and the old ones are destroyed right in the blood to the simplest chemicals in order to be removed from the body. Pigment is one of these "waste" substances.

The liver filters the bloodstream and removes bilirubin from it. The liver cells convert the pigment into a water-soluble form and send it to tiny tubes called the bile ducts. Thus, bilirubin is part of the bile.

Further, through the common bile duct, bile is sent to the intestines, where it plays a role in digestion. Bilirubin leaves the body along with the stool - by the way, it is this pigment that gives the stool its characteristic yellow-brown color.

Failure at any of the stages of filtration and removal of bilirubin from the body leads to the fact that the pigment remains in the blood and makes itself felt by yellowing of the skin.

What leads to jaundice

There are many reasons, and they can be divided into four Jaundice categories.

1. Problems with blood cells

In some conditions, red blood cells are destroyed faster than usual. The volume of their "waste" in the blood is rapidly increasing, and the liver does not have time to filter and remove bilirubin.

Disruption of the life cycle of erythrocytes is caused by:

Certain hereditary blood disorders … For example, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, spherocytosis.
Hemolytic uremic syndrome.
Malaria.

2. Liver disease

Most often, jaundice manifests itself:

Hepatitis … Any - both viral and autoimmune (when the body begins to attack its own liver cells), and toxic (caused by poisoning).
Cirrhosis of the liver … This is a condition in which an organ becomes scarred - that is, its normal cells are replaced by connective tissue. Scars cannot filter blood. Unfortunately, in the early stages, cirrhosis is difficult to notice. Jaundice occurs when the liver becomes almost completely inoperative.
Hereditary defects in enzymes that convert bilirubin in the liver … Not all of these defects are dangerous. For example, Gilbert's syndrome, which affects one in twenty Jaundice people, although it manifests itself as jaundice, is considered harmless and does not require treatment.

3. Conditions that worsen the patency of the bile ducts inside the liver

Narrowing or blocking the bile ducts, through which bilirubin filtered by the liver from the blood passes "to the exit", can:

Cirrhosis of the liver.
Cholangitis (inflammation of the bile ducts).
Taking certain medications Adult Jaundice. For example, oral contraceptives, steroid medications, or penicillin-based antibiotics.

4. Conditions in which the common bile duct is blocked

When the common bile duct becomes narrowed or blocked, bile containing bilirubin sometimes seeps into the bloodstream and causes jaundice. It is called mechanical. It can lead to:

Gallstones … More precisely, the exit of one of the stones into the bile duct.
Pancreatitis … This is the name of the inflammation of the pancreas. In this disorder, the gland swells, increases in size and can transmit the bile duct, causing it to narrow.
Inflammation of the common bile duct.
Pancreatic or gallbladder cancer … The tumor, growing, often blocks the common bile duct.

What to do with jaundice

See a physician as soon as possible. It is important. Jaundice is not an independent disease, but a symptom. And you need to find out what kind of violation it signals.

The doctor will examine you and ask you to undergo tests. In particular, do blood tests. With their help you can:

Determine the type of bilirubin. Thus, the therapist will understand whether the pigment has undergone transformation in the liver or not.
Find an infection that could damage the liver, pancreas, and bile ducts.
Find out how well the liver works. The so-called liver tests will tell about this.

In addition, you will need to pass a urine test, as well as do an ultrasound of the liver, common bile duct, pancreas. Perhaps the doctor will prescribe other, more detailed studies (magnetic resonance imaging, liver biopsy, and so on) to clarify the diagnosis.

Treatment for jaundice depends on what caused it. Once you have dealt with the cause of the disorder (whether it be an illness or a side effect of medication), the skin and whites of the eyes will return to their normal color.