Jaundice is a condition which is commonly detected as the yellowing of the skin, sclera (white part of the eye), and mucous membrane of an individual. It is caused because of bilirubin, a bile pigment yellow-orange in colour. While this is something on the surface, what Jaundice does is more than just it. In most everyday cases, it is harmless, but many cases deteriorate further, causing harm to internal organs.
Liver and Gallbladder malfunction is the most common outcome of Jaundice which can be treated if the patient has no other underlying significant disease accompanying it.
Causes of Jaundice
There are a lot of reasons why one might get Jaundice. The causes are directly related to the production of bilirubin. It can be before, during, or after the production of bilirubin. Some of them can be noted as follows:
Symptoms of Jaundice
While it is easy to detect Jaundice with the discoloration of body parts, there are specific other symptoms as well which show up with Jaundice:
Diagnosis
Jaundice usually makes it easy to detect itself. But in some cases, the discoloration of the skin and other body parts isn't as prominent to be noticed by a lay man. Moreover, there can be other reasons which can lead to yellowing eyes and skin. So, it is best left to specialist doctors to do a thorough check-up to confirm if it is Jaundice. The diagnosis includes the following:
Treatment
Once the diagnosis is done, the treatment starts. It is often heard and read that Jaundice needs no treatment. It is both right and wrong. Even though Jaundice itself has no approved medicine as of now, it is very much important to consult a doctor in order to mitigate the symptoms. It is obviously the symptoms which cause the discomfort therefore the doctor will prescribe medicines to
A proper diet is a vital part of the treatment plan. There are a lot of things that in fact aggravate the situation. It is thus imperative to follow the diet your doctor prescribes. It generally includes food that is light to the stomach and doesn't have many spices and oil.
The above is for patients with mild Jaundice with no underlying diseases along with Jaundice. For patients with severe Jaundice and other disorders, Doctors have to follow a more elaborate plan. Firstly, the focus is to tone down the discomfort and get the symptoms mitigated. After that, other tests might be required to detect what damage the Jaundice has done. Liver functioning is one of the main concerns of doctors as it is crucial to make sure that much damage isn't done to the liver. The cause of the disease is also an essential factor while treating it. For example, if the reason for Jaundice is the blockage of the bile duct, treatment is to be done as per it.
Conclusion
So, even if it seems to be alright and mild, it is not recommended to treat Jaundice on your own with self-medication as it has severe repercussions on your health. It is strictly recommended to consult a physician as soon as the first symptoms show up.