How does jaundice affect the digestive system

Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; chap Wyatt JI, Haugk B. Liver, biliary system and pancreas. In: Cross SS, ed. Underwood's Pathology. The other main cause of jaundice is disease of the liver itself. The normal mechanisms for taking the bilirubin out of the blood and transporting it into the bile duct system becomes disturbed by disease or inflammation.

Common liver diseases include infections such as hepatitis , and chronic conditions such as cirrhosis. Jaundice looks odd, and makes you feel bad. It is not itself dangerous apart from the special jaundice of premature infants. However, it is an important sign that there is something seriously wrong which requires investigation and treatment. Digestive Disease Center. Digestive Diseases. Small Intestine. Digestive Organs. If the common bile duct becomes narrowed or blocked obstructed then bile which contains bilirubin can seep out into the bloodstream and cause jaundice.

This is sometimes called obstructive jaundice or posthepatic jaundice hepatic is another word for liver. Conditions that can cause this include:. The whites of the eyes are often the first tissues that you notice turning yellow when you develop jaundice. If the bilirubin level is only mildly high then this might be the only part of the body where you can detect a yellow colour.

With higher levels of bilirubin, the skin also becomes yellow. Other symptoms associated with jaundice will depend on the cause but may include one or more of the following: excessive tiredness fatigue , tummy abdominal pain, weight loss, being sick vomiting , itching, high temperature fever , pale stools faeces and dark urine. If you become jaundiced you should see your doctor. As discussed above, there are various causes. Some are more common than others and some are more serious than others.

It is vital to obtain the correct diagnosis, as the treatment and outlook prognosis can vary greatly, depending on the cause. However, sometimes, finding the cause can be a bit of a detective process and is not always easy or straightforward. Your doctor is likely to ask various questions if you become jaundiced. He or she will also examine you. On the basis of this assessment, the possible causes may become clear, as certain symptoms and signs are associated with some causes of jaundice and not with others.

Always get a doctor to see a baby who is jaundiced. It is often not serious but some cases are serious and need further tests and treatment. Jaundice in newborn babies can be divided up into common simple physiological jaundice and other causes. It is common for newborn babies to develop mild jaundice when they are days old.

It is due to a mild increase in the breakdown of red blood cells combined with a liver that is not quite fully functioning. The liver soon matures and the jaundice begins to disappear towards the end of the first week and has gone by day The baby is well and has no other problems. The are various other causes of jaundice in newborn babies.

People with no warning signs should see a doctor within a few days. Doctors first ask questions about the person's symptoms and medical history. Doctors then do a physical examination. What they find during the history and physical examination often suggests a cause and the tests that may need to be done see table Some Causes and Features of Jaundice Some Causes and Features of Jaundice In jaundice, the skin and whites of the eyes look yellow.

Doctors ask when the jaundice started and how long it has been present. They also ask when urine started to look dark which usually occurs before jaundice develops. People are asked about other symptoms, such as itching, fatigue, changes in stool, and abdominal pain. Doctors are particularly interested in symptoms that suggest a serious cause. For example, sudden loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, pain in the abdomen, and fever suggest hepatitis, particularly in young people and people with risk factors for hepatitis.

Fever and severe, constant pain in the upper right part of the abdomen suggest acute cholangitis infection of the bile ducts , usually in people with a blockage in a bile duct. Acute cholangitis is considered a medical emergency.

Knowing whether family members have also had jaundice or other liver disorders can help doctors identify hereditary liver disorders. Because hepatitis Overview of Hepatitis Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver.

Hepatitis can be Acute short-lived read more is a common cause, doctors ask particularly about conditions that increase the risk of hepatitis, such as. Living in or working at an institution with long-term residents, such as a mental health care facility, prison, or long-term care facility. During the physical examination, doctors look for signs of serious disorders such as fever, very low blood pressure, and a rapid heart rate and for signs that liver function is greatly impaired such as easy bruising, a rash of tiny dots or splotches, or changes in mental function.

They gently press on the abdomen to check for lumps, tenderness, swelling, and other abnormalities, such as an enlarged liver or spleen. Blood tests to evaluate how well the liver is functioning and whether it is damaged liver tests. Usually imaging tests such as ultrasonography Ultrasonography Imaging tests of the liver, gallbladder, and biliary tract include ultrasonography, radionuclide scanning, computed tomography CT , magnetic resonance imaging MRI , endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography Sometimes biopsy Biopsy of the Liver Doctors can obtain a sample of liver tissue during exploratory surgery, but more often they obtain a sample by inserting a hollow needle through the person's skin and into the liver.

This type Liver tests Liver Blood Tests Liver tests are blood tests that represent a noninvasive way to screen for the presence of liver disease for example, hepatitis in donated blood and to measure the severity and progress of These tests help doctors determine whether the cause is liver malfunction or a blocked bile duct. If a bile duct is blocked, imaging tests, such as ultrasonography, are usually required. Other blood tests are done based on the disorder doctors suspect and the results of the examination and the initial tests.

They may include. Examination of a blood sample under a microscope to check for excessive destruction of red blood cells. If imaging is needed, ultrasonography of the abdomen is often done first.

It can usually detect blockages in the bile ducts. If ultrasonography shows a blockage in a bile duct, other tests may be needed to determine the cause. Typically, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography MRCP Magnetic Resonance Imaging Imaging tests of the liver, gallbladder, and biliary tract include ultrasonography, radionuclide scanning, computed tomography CT , magnetic resonance imaging MRI , endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography MRCP is MRI of the bile and pancreatic ducts, done with specialized techniques that make the fluid in the ducts appear bright and the surrounding tissues appear dark.

For ERCP, a flexible viewing tube endoscope is inserted through the mouth and into the small intestine, and a radiopaque contrast agent is injected through the tube into the bile and pancreatic ducts.

Then x-rays are taken. When available, MRCP is usually preferred because it is just as accurate and is safer. But ERCP may be used because it enables doctors to take a biopsy sample, remove a gallstone, or do other procedures. Occasionally, liver biopsy Biopsy of the Liver Doctors can obtain a sample of liver tissue during exploratory surgery, but more often they obtain a sample by inserting a hollow needle through the person's skin and into the liver. It may be done when certain causes such as viral hepatitis, use of a drug, or exposure to a toxin are suspected or when the diagnosis is unclear after doctors have the results of other tests.

Laparoscopy Laparoscopy Laparoscopy is an examination of the abdominal cavity using a fiberoptic instrument inserted through the abdominal wall. This is a surgical procedure done in an operating room. People are given For this procedure, doctors make a small incision just below the navel and insert a viewing tube laparoscope to examine the liver and gallbladder directly. Rarely, a larger incision is needed a procedure called laparotomy. For a blocked bile duct, a procedure to open it such as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography [ ERCP Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Imaging tests of the liver, gallbladder, and biliary tract include ultrasonography, radionuclide scanning, computed tomography CT , magnetic resonance imaging MRI , endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography The underlying disorder and any problems it causes are treated as needed.

If jaundice is due to acute viral hepatitis Overview of Acute Viral Hepatitis Acute viral hepatitis is inflammation of the liver caused by infection with one of the five hepatitis viruses. In most people, the inflammation begins suddenly and lasts only a few weeks.