HEALTH CONDITION

Jaundice

Jaundice is when your skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow. It can be a sign of something serious, such as liver disease, so you need to get urgent medical help.

Symptoms of jaundice

Your skin may look yellow if you have jaundice. Credit: DR P. MARAZZI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/81016/view The white part of your eyes may also look yellow. Credit: DR M.A. ANSARY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/258979/view Yellowing of the skin may be less noticeable if you have brown or black skin, but the white part of your eyes will look yellow. Credit: Casa nayafana https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/yellowish-discoloration-sclera-jaundice-1343303249

Causes of jaundice

You may get jaundice if a substance called bilirubin builds up in your body. There are lots of possible reasons for this and some of them are serious. They include: alcohol-related liver disease gallstones hepatitis pancreatitis sickle cell disease Treatments for jaundice depend on what's causing it.

Source: NHS, last reviewed 22 January 2024. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

This page is general information and is not medical advice. It does not replace a registered doctor, and it is not a prescription or a recommendation to use any medicine or test. Prices are listed prices and may change. Always follow the advice of your doctor or pharmacist.