Symptom

Jaundice

Jaundice, where skin or eyes turn yellow, always needs urgent medical assessment. Find out what causes it, how it's diagnosed, and how it's treated.

What is jaundice?

Jaundice describes a yellow tinge developing across your skin or the whites of your eyes. It happens when a substance called bilirubin, a normal by-product of old red blood cells breaking down, builds up faster than your body can clear it. On brown or black skin, the yellowing can be harder to spot on the skin itself but will still usually show in the whites of your eyes.

Jaundice itself is uncommon in adults, and it points to something else needing proper investigation rather than being a condition in its own right.

What are the common causes of jaundice?

A wide range of conditions can lead to bilirubin building up, including:

  • gallstones blocking the flow of bile
  • hepatitis, whether from a virus, heavy alcohol use, or an autoimmune reaction
  • alcohol-related liver disease more broadly, including cirrhosis
  • pancreatitis
  • sickle cell disease and other conditions that speed up red blood cell breakdown
  • certain medicines
  • rarely, cancer affecting the liver, gallbladder, or pancreas, particularly where a pancreatic tumour sits close to the bile duct

Not every cause is serious. Gilbert's syndrome, a common genetic condition that may cause mild jaundice that comes and goes. It does not usually need any treatment. It's also worth knowing that eating large amounts of carrot, squash, or similarly orange foods can turn your skin slightly yellow through a harmless pigment called beta-carotene; this isn't jaundice and leaves your eyes looking entirely normal.

Are there different types of jaundice?

Doctors generally group jaundice by where in the body the problem starts:

  • Pre-hepatic jaundice happens before bilirubin reaches your liver, usually because red blood cells are breaking down faster than usual and overwhelming your liver's capacity to keep up.
  • Hepatic jaundice comes from the liver itself, when disease or damage stops it processing bilirubin properly, as can happen with hepatitis or cirrhosis.
  • Post-hepatic (or obstructive) jaundice happens after your liver has processed the bilirubin, when something, most often a gallstone or a tumour, blocks the bile ducts and stops it draining away as it should.

How is jaundice diagnosed?

Your clinician will ask about your symptoms, general health, alcohol intake, and any medicines you take. They will examine your abdomen, checking your liver's size and firmness. Blood tests measuring your bilirubin level and distinguishing whether the excess relates to red blood cells breaking down faster than normal or to liver damage itself, help point towards which of the three categories above is involved, alongside a urine test.

An ultrasound scan is usually the first imaging test, since it's quick, carries virtually no risk, and can show whether your bile ducts are enlarged or blocked. A CT scan may follow if a more detailed picture is needed, and occasionally a small sample of liver tissue (a biopsy) is taken if the cause still isn't clear.

How is jaundice treated?

There's no treatment that targets the yellowing itself. Instead, your clinician treats whatever's causing your bilirubin to build up, and the jaundice settles once that's dealt with. Depending on the cause, this could mean antiviral or steroid medicine for hepatitis, surgery to remove gallstones or clear a blockage, switching a medicine that's responsible, or treatment for anaemia.

While the underlying cause is being addressed, resting, eating a balanced diet, keeping well hydrated, and avoiding alcohol will help support your liver. If itching is a problem, your clinician can suggest creams or medicines to ease it.

When should you see a doctor?

Always get medical help promptly if you notice yellowing of your skin or eyes. It's a genuine warning that one of your body's normal processes has gone off track, so it's not something to wait out at home, even if you otherwise feel well.

Get help immediately, rather than waiting for a routine appointment, if the yellowing comes with a high temperature and shivering, or with pain in the upper right side of your tummy that may spread to your back. This combination can point to an infection needing urgent treatment.

FAQs

  • Is jaundice itself dangerous, or is it the underlying cause that matters?

    It's really the underlying cause that determines how serious things are. The yellowing itself doesn't usually harm you, but it's a strong signal that your liver, blood, or bile ducts need proper assessment to find out what's going on.

  • Can jaundice have a harmless cause?

    Yes, sometimes. Gilbert's syndrome, for example, is a common and completely harmless inherited trait that can cause mild jaundice, often noticed only during a routine blood test or at times of stress or illness. Even so, you shouldn't assume this is the reason without seeing a doctor first, since the same yellowing can also come from far more serious conditions.

  • Why does my skin look yellow but not my eyes?

    This is more likely to be carotenaemia rather than jaundice, a harmless colour change from eating a lot of orange vegetables and fruit. True jaundice almost always shows up around the iris too, even when it's subtle elsewhere, so if that area looks entirely normal it's worth mentioning this pattern to whoever assesses you.

  • What tests will I need?

    Most people start with blood tests and a physical examination, followed by an ultrasound scan covering the liver and bile ducts. Further tests, such as a CT scan or a liver biopsy, are only needed if the initial results don't make the cause clear.

  • How long does jaundice take to go away?

    There's no fixed answer, since so much rides on the specific cause and how quickly it's treated. Once the underlying condition is under control, whether that's an infection clearing, a gallstone being removed, or a medicine being changed, the yellowing typically fades over the following days to weeks.