As you head to the bathroom to start your morning routine, one look in the mirror has you doing a double take.
And no, it’s not because of the seriously unkempt state of your hair.
You notice the whites of your eyes have a yellow tint — and so does your skin. Could it be the bad lighting combined with pre-coffee confusion, or is it something else?
Jaundice — yellowing of the skin and eyes — is often associated with newborns, but it can occur in adults due to an underlying medical condition.
Keep reading to learn more about adult jaundice and how our Charleston gastroenterology specialists can help!
What is Jaundice?
Jaundice is a condition that occurs when your liver fails to process bilirubin, a yellow substance created when red blood cells break down. When the liver cannot process bilirubin effectively, it can cause the substance to build up and leak into the tissues surrounding your blood vessels.
The result? The whites of your eyes, your skin, and your mucous membranes turn yellow.
Symptoms of Jaundice
While a yellowish tint to the skin may sound simple enough to spot, some cases are mild enough to easily go undetected. The severity of your symptoms will depend on the root cause and how quickly – or slowly – they develop.
In addition to the yellowish hue of your skin and the whites of your eyes, other symptoms that can accompany jaundice may include:
Fever
Chills
Flu-like symptoms
Belly pain
Itchy skin
Dark-colored urine or pale-colored poop
Fatigue
Confusion
Weight loss
Decreased appetite
If you begin to experience symptoms associated with jaundice, schedule an appointment with a GI clinic near you as soon as possible.
Underlying GI Causes Behind Your Jaundice
To understand the root cause behind your jaundice, it’s essential to know where it occurs during the liver’s processing of bilirubin.
There are three types of jaundice: prehepatic, hepatic, and post-hepatic.
Prehepatic jaundice: Occurs when certain health conditions affect the rate at which red blood cells break down. It happens before the blood reaches the liver and before the liver processes waste.
Hepatic jaundice: Occurs when your liver tissue begins to fail or becomes ineffective at filtering bilirubin from your blood, resulting in processed and unprocessed bilirubin levels.
Post-hepatic jaundice: Occurs after bilirubin is filtered out in the liver, but a blockage stops it from draining properly.
Pre-hepatic Jaundice
Conditions associated with the development of pre-hepatic jaundice affect how red blood cells break down in the body.
Common causes may include:
Malaria
Sickle cell anemia
Spherocytosis
Thalassemia
The latter three causes are all genetic conditions that directly affect how red blood cells are formed, thus impacting how they break down to produce bilirubin.
Hepatic Jaundice
Hepatic jaundice can develop due to certain viruses, genetic factors, or certain medications. Common causes of hepatic jaundice may include:
Post-hepatic jaundice is also known as obstructive jaundice because bilirubin can’t be appropriately drained due to a blockage in the bile ducts or digestive tract.
Common causes of post-hepatic jaundice may include:
Experiencing jaundice is unfamiliar and can cause a “jump scare” – no horror movie required. Seeing a yellow tint to our skin and eyes can cause us to question how or who we got it from, begging us to ask: Is jaundice contagious?
In short, no, jaundice itself is not contagious. However, the condition that caused it can be.
Diseases that are passed from person to person are known as communicable diseases. Communicable diseases that can result in jaundice as a symptom include Weil’s disease, yellow fever, and viral hepatitis.
Viral hepatitis is often spread from person to person in various forms, whether that be through sexual contact, sharing food or drink with someone who has not received a vaccine, or through blood and bodily fluids. How viral hepatitis is spread will depend on the type of hepatitis you have.
Mellow Out the Yellow With Help from Charleston GI
The early morning jump scare of jaundice can leave you feeling anxious and worried, but we want you to know our team is here to help.
Our extensive knowledge of GI conditions allows us to ease your anxieties through diagnosis, understanding, and information as we help you mellow out the yellow.
There’s no referral needed, making it simpler than ever to schedule your appointment with a gastroenterologist near you today! We have four convenient Charleston area locations to choose from in West Ashley, Mount Pleasant, Summerville, and Carnes Crossroads.
