What is Jaundice
Human blood is a liquid tissue that contains many different cells. Among them, an important cell is Red Blood Corpuscles or RBC. It has a limited period of life span and it dies after the life span is over.
When these RBC die, they leave behind a pigment known as Bilirubin. This pigment is yellow Orange in colour that remains in blood. It is the liver that filters this Bilirubin from the blood. This Bilirubin is filtered from the blood stream and is thrown out of the body with the faeces.
When the amount of Bilirubin becomes very high in the bloodstream, the liver becomes overburdened. It then undergoes a stage that is known as Hyper bilirubinemia. This leads to inflammation of liver also causing a condition known as Hepatitis. Jaundice is reflected through the change in colour of the eyes and the skin.

1. The reasons those can cause Jaundice: Jaundice is as a result of some problems during the process of bilirubin production.Unconjugated Jaundice is the phase when the level of Bilirubin is abnormally high because of:

• Dissolving and reabsorption of a large Hematoma present in the body as collection of clotted blood under the skin.
• Haemolytic Anaemia that is the condition when Red Blood Corpuscles are destroyed and removed before their normal life span is over.
• During the process of Bilirubin production, Jaundice may be caused by a virus, known as Hepatitis A, Chronic Hepatitis B and C and Epstein Barr Virus Infection. This is also known as Infectious Mononucleosis.
• Chronic and continuous abuse of Alcohol or alcoholic addiction, also known as alcoholism.
• Jaundice is also a type of autoimmune disorder.
• Jaundice can be as a result of a genetic metabolic defect which of course is very rare.
• Some medicines can cause Jaundice, acetaminophen toxicity is most common among them. Acetaminophen is a known hepatotoxic drug and should be used carefully under medical supervision.
• Drugs such as Penicillin, Oral Contraceptives used by females, Chlorpromazine or Thorazine, estrogenic drugs or anabolic steroids can cause jaundice to people.
• Mechanical Reasons such as after production of Bilirubin, Jaundice may be produced by any obstruction of the bile ducts because of Gallstone, Inflamed Gall Bladder, Cancer in the Gallbladder, or a tumour in the Pancreas.

2. What are the symptoms of Jaundice : Though it is a rare phenomenon, a person may move with undetected jaundice for a long time. It can be found quiet by accident only. The symptoms are severe only when the disease develops fast in the patient.

Jaundice has certain common symptoms such as:

If the cause of Jaundice is not because of any infection, the common symptoms is loss of body weight. It can also result in itchy skin or Pruritus.
If the Jaundice is as a result of Cancer in Pancreas or Biliary tract the
common symptom is pain in the abdomen.

3.How is Jaundice Diagnosed : Jaundice is commonly diagnosed by checking the liver condition at first, such as:

Conjugated Jaundice can be diagnosed by testing the patient’s urine for positive presence of bilirubin. But it is not confirmatory and should further be confirmed by serum testing. It includes CBC test of the blood or Complete Blood Count and the level of Bilirubin in the Blood.

Tenderness of the liver is also very important in diagnosing Jaundice. It can be done with Ultrasonography or Computer Tomographic Scanning. Ultimate confirmation comes with Liver Biopsy.

4. How Is Jaundice Treated
Jaundice is not that a serious problem in adult humans than in infants and children. The causes and the complications are treated accordingly. Problems like itching can treated with antipruritic drugs.

Treatment of Jaundice carry some side effects and complications also. These may be constipation, bloating of stomach, pain in the stomach, gas in stomach, stomach upsets or vomiting.

5. How to prevent Jaundice : Jaundice is best prevented by avoiding the causes of Jaundice. These are by avoiding Hepatitis infection, not to indulge in alcoholism, avoid obesity and to stay fit, keeping the Cholesterol level under control.

Jaundice is most commonly found in infants, children, middle aged men, and women. Alcoholic people are more prone to become victims of Jaundice.

Infants and babies are to be closely observed for symptoms such as looking or acting sick, appears to be not feeling well, feeling drowsy or sleepy all the time or has a history of having jaundice before. Premature babies are more susceptible for
jaundice.