Jaundice
This is a condition which is popularly known as the yellowing of your eyes and skin. This occurrence is not an illness or a disease, but it signifies that you might have developed an underlying illness. Once your body produces excess bilirubin, it automatically results in jaundice.
Bilirubin is popularly known as the yellow pigment produced as a result of the breakdown of your red blood cells, which are dead in your body. Your liver is responsible for the removal of bilirubin as well as dead red blood cells.
The jaundice development might signify that you have issues with the functioning of your pancreas, red blood cells, gallbladder, and liver.
Issues that cause jaundice
There are fundamental issues or conditions which can result in jaundice or the yellowing of your skin.
These conditions include:
Hepatitis
Hepatitis is known as the condition, which causes inflammation to the liver. It can be a result of alcohol, drugs, toxins, infection, or even autoimmune diseases. It could be the acute or chronic form of hepatitis an individual can contract based on the reasons.
There are primary symptoms that could indicate that you have developed the hepatitis virus-like loss of appetite, yellow skin, nausea and vomiting, and joint ache.
Newborn jaundice
Having excess bilirubin can cause your baby to be deaf, develop brain damages, or even cerebral palsy. An infant who develops jaundice must be carefully monitored.
The first and foremost symptom of newborn jaundice is the yellowing of the eyes or even the baby’s skin. It usually starts for the first two days after birth on the infant’s face and later progresses to other parts of the body.
Breast milk jaundice
This particular form of jaundice is transmitted from a nursing mother to her child. Breast milk jaundice usually develops after one week of birth and is closely linked to breastfeeding.
Most at times, this condition does not last for long and causes barely any type of complication. This condition eventually leads to fatigue, loss of weight, and yellowing of the skin and eyes.
Thalassemia
This condition is inherited and causes your body to produce abnormal types of hemoglobin. This condition eventually causes anemia, which is a result of the obliteration of your red blood cells.
The various types of thalassemia have different symptoms and signs that indicate their presence in the body of a man.
This condition’s primary symptom includes dark urine, pale or yellowish skin and eyes, tiredness or fatigue, and slow development or growth of parts of the body.
Pancreatic cancer
This is a condition that occurs when the cells of your pancreas turn cancerous and start malfunctioning. The pancreas is a vital organ that can be found behind your stomach. This cancer is quite difficult to diagnose once it has been advanced.
The primary symptoms of pancreatic cancer are blood clots, the yellowish coloring of the eyes and skin, depression and anxiety, and sudden weight loss.
Hepatitis B
When a man gets infected with the hepatitis B virus, he experiences inflammation of the liver. It can be transmitted through contact with an infected person’s blood or using an infected needle or syringe.
A baby can also contract this virus from its mother or through unsafe sexual activities. The well-known signs that an individual has contracted this condition include tiredness or fatigue, the discomfort of the abdominal area, loss of appetite, and jaundice.
The complications which an individual can experience from the development of the hepatitis B virus to the chronic stage include cirrhosis, death, liver failure, and even liver cancer.
However, this infection can be prevented by administering immunization for infants, adolescents, and adults.
Hepatitis C
Some individuals experience acute or chronic hepatitis C virus-like high fever, muscle and joint pain, jaundice, and loss of appetite. This type of virus also causes inflammation of the liver.
It is usually spread by blood contact with an infected individual. Most people who develop this illness do not show any symptom until it progresses to the chronic stage.
Hepatitis E
This is a condition that can cause severe damages to the liver because of the hepatitis E virus.
Most individuals who have this infection tend to experience nausea, abdominal pain, abnormal enlargement of the liver, fatigue, and vomiting. Most times, these symptoms tend to fade after a period.
Alcohol liver disease
The inflammation of the liver is a result of the excessive intake of alcohol. The symptom s of this condition can vary as a result of the damage sustained in the liver.
The symptoms associated with alcoholic liver diseases are fatigue, sudden changes in mental state, pain in the abdomen, unusual enlargement of the abdomen, vomiting, and sudden loss of weight.
Hepatitis D
This is a condition known as the liver’s inflammation by the hepatitis D and hepatitis B viruses. It is only medically possible for you to develop hepatitis D if you are already diagnosed with hepatitis B.
This virus is easily spread through contact with body fluids like blood and semen. The symptoms of hepatitis D include abdominal and joint pain, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, and yellowish coloring.
Gallstones
Gallstones occur when there is a large concentration of bilirubin, bile, or even cholesterol in the fluid located in your gallbladder. This condition does not usually cause any discomfort until it blocks your bile ducts and your gallbladder’s opening.
You begin to experience pain and discomfort in your stomach or right abdomen after consuming high fat. The primary symptoms of the development of gallstones include vomiting, colored urine, nausea, indigestion, and even white stools.
Hepatitis A
This particular hepatitis virus can be prevented through immunization processes and does not cause severe complications.
There are specific symptoms that can be developed after one week of contracting hepatitis A virus-like itchy skin, enlargement of the liver, colored urine, the yellowish coloring of the eyes and skin, and pale stools.
Cirrhosis
Various symptoms are closely associated with cirrhosis like sudden loss weight, swift bleeding or bruising, the yellowish coloring of the skin or eyes, lowered appetite, and abnormal enlargement of the abdomen.
Bile duct obstruction
This is a condition that usually occurs as a result of gallstones and is usually caused by an injury or infection to the gallbladder or liver. Liver illnesses, tumors, and infections are also possible causes of bile duct obstruction.
The primary symptoms closely associated with bile duct obstruction include yellowish coloring of the skin and eyes, itchy skin, colored urine, abdominal pain, nausea, and high fever. This condition is a severe illness that ought to be given full and proper attention.
Sickle cell anemia
This condition is a hereditary illness that directly affects the red blood cells, which causes it to have a crescent shape. These crescent-shaped cells are likely to get stuck in little vessels restricting the blood from getting to various parts of your body.
These affected cells are more likely to get destroyed, thereby resulting in anemia. The various symptoms of sickle cell anemia include tiredness or fatigue, regular injections, back, arm and leg ache, enlargement of your feet or hands.
Liver cancer
This condition usually occurs when the liver of an individual gets cancerous, thereby causing them to malfunction. The various forms of liver cancer usually depend on the cells which form the liver.
The effects of liver cancer include abdominal pain, vomiting, the yellowish coloring of the skin and eyes, and sudden fatigue or tiredness.
Yellow fever
This is a condition that can be contracted from mosquitoes. It is a deadly illness that causes severe and chronic complications to health. It occurs mostly in the regions of South America and Africa.
This illness can be prevented through the use of vaccines and is also needed if you visit endemic places. Primary symptoms that indicate that you have developed yellow fever include high fever, headache, and body and abdominal pains.
Significant symptoms of yellow fever include seizures, excessive bleeding from your mouth and nose, with your eyes inclusive.
Weil’s diseases
This is a chronic disease that the brain, liver, lungs, or even your kidney. It is usually transmitted through water, urine, soil, and even tissues of an infected individual. Symptoms of this disease include yellowish coloring of the skin and eyes and loss of weight.
Conclusion
Yellow skin is a condition known as jaundice, which can be a result of an underlying illness. It can be due to various reasons like the hepatitis virus, liver cancer, yellow fever, pancreatic cancer, and various other types of diseases.
However, this condition can be prevented through immunization against specific types of diseases and living a healthy lifestyle.
