Jaundice (patient information)

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Jaundice
Overview
What are the symptoms?
What are the causes?
Who is at highest risk?
Diagnosis
When to seek urgent medical care?
Treatment options
Where to find medical care for Jaundice?
Prevention
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Possible complications
Jaundice On the Web
Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov
Images of Jaundice
Videos on Jaundice
FDA on Jaundice
CDC on Jaundice
Jaundice in the news
Blogs on Jaundice
Directions to Hospitals Treating Jaundice
Risk calculators and risk factors for Jaundice

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Synonyms and keywords: Icterus

Overview

Jaundice is a yellow color of the skin, mucus membranes, or eyes. The yellow coloring comes from bilirubin, a byproduct of old red blood cells. Jaundice can be a symptom of other health problems.

What are the symptoms of Jaundice

Jaundice may appear suddenly or develop slowly over time. Symptoms of jaundice commonly include:

• Yellow skin and the white part of the eyes (sclera) -- when jaundice is more severe, these areas may look brown
• Yellow color inside the mouth
• Dark or brown-colored urine
• Pale or clay-colored stools

Note: If the whites of your eyes are not yellow, you may not have jaundice. Your skin can turn a yellow-to-orange color if you eat too much beta carotene, the orange pigment in carrots.

Other symptoms depend on the disorder causing the jaundice:

• Cancers may produce no symptoms, or there may be fatigue, weight loss, or other symptoms
• Hepatitis may produce nausea, vomiting, fatigue, or other symptoms

Related Chapters

• Neonatal jaundice (patient information)