Jaundice

Jaundice is the most common of all liver disorders resulting from an obstruction in the bile duct, or the loss of function of the bile-producing liver cells. There are several forms of jaundice but all of them are marked by yellow discoloration of the skin and the whites of the eyes.

The liver, located under the diaphragm just above the stomach, is a vast chemical laboratory which performs many important functions. It inactivates hormones no longer needed, synthesizes many amino acids used in building tissues, and breaks proteins into sugar and far when required for energy. It produces lecithin, cholesterol, bile and blood albumin, vital to the removal of tissue wastes. It also stores vitamins and minerals.

Bile is a vital digestive fluid which is essential for proper nutrition. It exercises a most favorable influence on the general processes of digestion. It also prevents decaying changes in food. If the bile is prevented from entering the intestines there is an increase in gases and other products. Normally the production of bile and its flow is constant.

Symptoms

The symptoms of jaundice are extreme weakness, headache, fever, loss of appetite, undue fatigue, severe constipation,nausea and yellow coloration of the eyes, tongue, skin and urine. The patient may also feel a dull pain in liver region.

Causes

Jaundice is indicative of the malfunctioning of the liver. It may be caused by an obstruction of the bile ducts which discharge bile salts and pigment into the intestine. The bile then gets mixed with blood and this gives a yellow pigmentation to the skin. The obstruction of the bile ducts could be due to gall stones or inflammation of the liver, known as hepatitis, caused by a virus. In the later case, the virus spreads and may lead to epidemics owing to over-crowding , dirty surroundings, in sanitary conditions and contamination of food and water. Other causes of jaundice are pernicious anemia and certain disease affecting the liver such as typhoid, malaria, yellow fever and tuberculosis.

The Cure

The simple form of jaundice can be cured rapidly by diet therapy and exercises. Recovery will , however, be slow in serious cases which have been caused by obstruction or pressure in the bile ducts. The patient should rest until the acute symptoms of the disease subside.