If you believe you might have jaundice, it’s important to know which type. This condition causes symptoms like yellowish skin and eyeballs. Jaundice is linked to various health conditions including liver disease. You can also experience certain types like hepatocellular jaundice. This is caused by inflammation or injury and is frequently caused by hepatitis. As with other serious health conditions, it’s important to know factors like symptoms, causes, and treatments. This will help you to deal with the condition as effectively as possible. In fact, there are various causes and types of jaundice so it’s critical to know the best treatments for the particular cause.
There are various factors related to hepatocellular-type jaundice including the malfunction of liver cells. In fact, jaundice is often a symptom of liver cirrhosis, which itself is a late-stage condition linked to liver disease. There’s some overlap but liver failure is generally a more serious condition than liver disease, which can include early stages like fatty liver disease. It’s thus important to take steps to manage your condition effectively. This can help to prevent jaundice from becoming more severe. The condition results from the body being able to effectively process a certain substance known as bilirubin.
What Exactly Is Jaundice?
This condition produces symptoms that cause body parts and fluids to become yellow. They include the skin, eyeballs, and some body fluids. This is based on the body’s levels of waste material in human blood known as “bilirubin.” When there are moderate levels in the blood it causes a yellow color while high levels produce a brown color.
Jaundice is a common condition among newborn babies. In fact, in the USA around 60% of all young babies have the condition. However, people of all ages can have this condition and usually is a sign of problems like liver disease or blocked bile ducts.
The condition’s symptoms result from the body being unable to process bilirubin effectively. This causes a yellow color in the skin and eyeballs. There are various causes including liver disease and the late-stage condition known as liver cirrhosis.
Bilirubin stays in the person’s bloodstream after the body removes iron from the blood. After bilirubin gets to the person’s liver it then combines with other chemicals. This produces a new substance. Bilirubin is part of the body’s digestive system.
The problem is if there’s a high level of bilirubin. When this happens it leaks into tissues around it. These are the factors that produce yellowish skin/eyes.
There are various health disorders that can cause the liver to have problems getting rid of bilirubin or the body to make too much of the stuff. These are both problems that cause bilirubin to get into tissues.
There are various causes of jaundice including inflamed liver and inflamed/blocked bile ducts. It’s important to deal with the actual case of jaundice since they might cause other symptoms as well. Your doctor can help to determine what’s causing the symptoms and recommend treatments to deal with the health condition. It’s important to get it checked out.
Hepatocellular Jaundice: Causes and Treatments
This type of jaundice happens when liver cells become majorly damaged. This affects their ability to move bilirubin to the bile system. The result is some yellow pigment enters the bloodstream.
There are various diseases that can trigger jaundice. There are three phases that are involved in the body’s bilirubin production. A problem in any of the phrases can result in yellow skin/eyeballs.
Before the body produces bilirubin there can be something known as “unconjugated jaundice.” This results in various causes of high bilirubin levels. These are all very technical issues. However, the main takeaway is that there can be problems before the body makes the substance.
Then during the production of bilirubin, there are various causes of jaundice including:
- Alcohol consumption
- Genetic disorders
- Hepatitis A/B/C
- Medicines
- Immune system diseases
Then after making bilirubin jaundice can be caused by blocked bile ducts. This is due to factors like inflammation, pancreas issues, and gallbladder stones.
There are various jaundice systems to watch out for including:
- Chills
- Flu-like symptoms
- Dark-colored urine
- Yellowish skin
- Fever
- Stomach pain
It’s worth noting that infection doesn’t cause jaundice although you might experience symptoms like itchy skin and weight loss. Stomach pain is the most common symptom of jaundice results from bile system cancers.
Liver disease and jaundice sometimes occur if a person has various health conditions. They include hepatitis A/B/C, joint inflammation, etc. If you experience jaundice symptoms it’s important to get it checked out. As with other conditions it can become worse if you don’t get the needed treatments.
The treatment options for jaundice are related to the cause of the condition. Some of the best options include:
- Beta-blockers
- Hepatitis vaccinations
- Fluids
- Chemotherapy
- Dialysis
- Liver transplant
- Dietary supplements
- IV antibiotics
- Rest
- Anti-virus medicines
- Low-protein diet
- Quitting drinking
The particular treatment your doctor suggests will be based on the cause of jaundice.
Top Foods/Drinks for Jaundice
Veggies/Fruits
This should include 2.5 cups of vegetables/day and 2 cups of fruit/day. You can pick from a wide range of options. What’s most important is to make sure you’re getting enough fruits and veggies in your diet. It’s important to eat a wide variety so you’ll be getting different vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc.
Well-balanced diet
Besides eating certain foods to treat jaundice, it’s also important to maintain a well-balanced diet. That includes foods like lean meats, whole grains, fruits/veggies, nuts/seeds, and dairy. This not only can help to treat jaundice but also improve your overall health.
Digestive Enzymes
You can find these in certain foods and they might help to lower bilirubin levels. Some options include honey, mango, orange peels, papaya, and pineapple.
These foods not only might help to improve digestion but also help to treat jaundice. Fun Fact:
Mango/Papaya
These are good options since they’re high in digestive enzymes. These fruits are high in various nutrients like Vitamin C. You can also consume the fruits in different ways like fresh fruit, juice, and fruit salad.
Fiber
This includes options like whole grains, almonds, and berries. Dietary fiber isn’t digested but is important for helping the digestive system to work effectively. Another benefit of high-fiber foods is the fiber is subtracted from total carbs to determine the net carbs.
Water
Make sure you’re drinking 2L or 3L of water per day. Another good option is herbal tea. This will help to keep you hydrated and improve the overall function of your digestive system. There are other options when selecting teas but herbal tea is one of the best options.
Another good option is something called “milk thistle.” You can consume the seeds or make some fresh tea. These are both good options for treating hepatocellular jaundice.
