Jaundice is a yellow color in the skin, mucus membranes, or eyes. The yellow pigment is from bilirubin, a byproduct of old red blood cells. Jaundice is also a symptom of other disorders.
This article is about jaundice in children and adults.
See also: Newborn jaundice for information about babies
Alternative NamesYellow skin and eyes; Skin - yellow; Icterus; Eyes - yellow; Jaundice
ConsiderationsIf you've ever had a bruise, you may have noticed that the skin went through a series of color changes as it healed. When you saw yellow in the bruise, you were seeing bilirubin.
Normally, about 1% of our red blood cells retire every day, to be replaced by fresh red blood cells. The old ones are handled by the liver. Bilirubin is left after blood cells are disposed of. It leaves the body in the stool.
When too much bilirubin (yellow pigment) builds up in the body, jaundice may result.
Jaundice can be caused by:
The skin may turn a yellow-to-orange color if you ingest too much beta carotene, the orange pigment in carrots. In this condition, the whites of the eyes remain white. People with true jaundice often have a yellowish tinge to the eyes. This condition is called hypercarotenemia, or just carotenemia.
Common CausesCauses seen only in children include:
Causes in adults include:
See also: Newborn jaundice for information about babies
Home CareThe cause of jaundice must be determined before treatment can be given. Follow prescribed therapy to treat the underlying cause.
Call your health care provider ifAll jaundice in a child or adult should be medically evaluated. Always call your doctor if jaundice is present.
What to expect at your health care provider's officeThe health care provider will perform a physical examination. To help diagnose the cause of yellow skin, your health care provider will ask medical history questions, such as:
The following diagnostic tests may be performed:
Berk PD, Korenblat KM. Approach to the patient with jaundice or abnormal liver test results. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007: chap 150.
Boamah L, Balistreri WF. Manifestations of liver disease. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 352.
Moyer V, Freese DK, Whitington PF, Olson AD, Brewer F, Colletti RB, Heyman MB. Guideline for the evaluation of cholestatic jaundice in infants: recommendations of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2004;39(2):115-128.
Piazza AJ, Stoll BJ. Digestive system disorders. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 102
This article uses information by permission from Alan Greene, M.D., © Greene Ink, Inc.
A light skinned person will have a slight yellow coloring to the skin. The whites of the eyes are a better place to look for this.
Jaundice
Depends if the yellow people have some sort of skin disease, which is transferable then it is possible.
Weil's Disease is also known as Leptospirosis. It causes kidney failure, bleeding and causes a person to turn the color yellow.
Yellow fever has that name because about 15% of the cases progress to a toxic phase including liver damage and jaundice. Jaundice causes the skin to turn yellow, hence the name.
There is more than one cause of yellow skin. It could be due to jaundice, hepatitis, anemia, gallstones or hyperbilirubinemia.
dirt
Jaundice and carotenemia are the most common causes of yellow skin. Jaundice is accumulation of bilirubin which is a bile pigment and carotenemia is the accumulation of carotene; the precursor of vitamin A.
Lichen sclerosis is a rare disease that causes patches of skin to turn white. It can be painful or itchy and scarring may result in the area.
they are healthy for your skin but if you eat to much you can turn yellow-orange
Beta-carotene.
yello paint
HNO3 has oxidized the proteins in the skin. HNO3 has oxidized the proteins in the skin.
Beta carotene, found in yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, can cause the skin to turn yellow.