Jaundice is a condition that affects 60-percent of all infants born in the U.S. but it can happen to anyone of all ages. This is why it’s important to know what it is and what you can do about it.
It’s a disease that turns your skin and whites of the eyes yellow due to high bilirubin levels. And bilirubin is a waste product found in the blood. When an individual has jaundice, it typically occurs due to an underlying condition. So, in an effort to better understand it and the risks associated with the disease let’s take a look at everything you need to know about jaundice.
Types of Jaundice
Before we dive into the symptoms, causes, and treatment, we must first establish that there are three main types of jaundice: hepatocellular, hemolytic, and obstructive. Hepatocellular jaundice is caused by liver disease or liver injury.
Hemolytic jaundice develops as a result of hemolysis. In other words, it’s an “accelerated breakdown of red blood cells, leading to an increase in production of bilirubin,” says Medical News Today. The last type is obstructive jaundice. This occurs due to an obstruction in the bile duct, which then prevents bilirubin from exiting the liver.