Yellow eyes are a condition in which the whites of the eyes turn yellow due to the body having too much bilirubin. Yellow eyes are one of the symptoms of jaundice. However, yellow eyes can be caused by many things, such as taking certain medications or certain health problems, such as gallstones, liver disease, or cancer.
Yellow eyes often occur together with jaundice. Yellow eyes usually do not affect vision, but are often a sign that certain organs are not functioning properly, such as the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. This symptom can affect both children and adults. If yellow eyes occur, see a doctor to receive treatment for the cause of the yellow eyes to prevent other complications, such as anemia, liver, and kidney failure.
Symptoms of yellow eyes
The most obvious symptom of yellow eyes is the yellowing of the whites of the eyes. However, yellow eyes may also have other symptoms, which are symptoms of health problems caused by the yellow eyes. Symptoms may include:
- Skin color changes to yellow
- stomach ache
- Itchy skin
- Have fever, chills and fatigue.
- Nausea or loss of appetite
- Have symptoms of edemaor swelling in various organs of the body.
- Pale stools or dark urine
- Rapid weight loss
In addition, infants with jaundice may have yellow eyes along with other symptoms such as jaundice, eating less and being more drowsy. If infants have a high level of bilirubin in their body, they may have additional dangerous symptoms such as seizures, hearing loss, and brain abnormalities (kernicterus).
Causes of yellow eyes
Yellow eyes can be caused by a number of things, but the most common cause is high levels of bilirubin in the blood. This is caused by a malfunction of the liver, gallbladder, or pancreas, which allows this substance to build up in the body and cause yellow eyes.
The causes of yellow eyes may be as follows:
- Abnormal liver function, which may be caused by factors that affect liver function, such as drinking too much alcohol for a long time, iron overload, cirrhosis, fattyliver disease , hepatitis , and liver cancer.
- Pancreatic dysfunction. Diseases that can affect pancreas function and cause yellow eyes and skin include pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.
- Bile duct obstruction is often caused by conditions such as tumors and Other conditions can also affect the functioning of the gallbladder, such as cholecystitis and gallbladder cancer.
- Blood diseases: Certain blood diseases can cause red blood cells to break down faster than normal or break down more easily than normal, causing increased bilirubin and potentially causing yellowing of the eyes, such as hemolytic anemia andsickle cell disease.
- Malaria is a diseasetransmitted by mosquitoes. The parasite destroys red blood cells and can cause yellow eyes and skin.
- Leptospirosisis a disease caused by bacterial infection through contact with animals or water that are infected with the virus. Symptoms include yellow eyes, yellow body, fever, cough, headache, muscle pain, headache, enlarged spleen or liver .
- Use of certain medications: Use of certain medications can cause jaundice, including yellowing of the eyes, such as use of large doses of acetaminophen, penicillin, birthcontrol pills , chlorpromazine , and steroids .
Diagnosis of yellow eyes
Doctors may diagnose yellow eyes by observing the eyes and skin because yellow eyes and yellow body are symptoms that can clearly indicate jaundice . In addition, doctors may find the cause of jaundice by taking a medical history, performing a physical examination , and performing various tests, such as blood tests to check the level of bilirubin in the blood, complete blood counts, or liver function tests.
The doctor may diagnose using images such as ultrasound, computed tomography ( CT ) scan, or magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI ) to check for bile duct obstruction. If an obstruction occurs, an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) may be performed to find the cause of the obstruction.
Treatment of yellow eyes
Yellow eyes are a symptom that indicates health problems in other organs. Therefore, treating the cause of yellow eyes may improve the symptoms. For example, if the cause of yellow eyes is gallstones, the doctor may recommend taking medication or surgery to remove the stones. If the cause is alcohol consumption, the doctor may recommend stopping drinking alcohol in order to receive further treatment.
In addition, if yellow eyes are caused by liver disease, the doctor may recommend drinking enough water to meet the body’s needs and eating foods that help nourish the liver, such as vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, and low-fat proteins such as chicken breast, fish, or Greek yogurt. When the liver starts to improve, it may help relieve yellow eyes or jaundice.
Complications of yellow eyes
Complications can vary depending on the cause of the yellow eyes. Examples of severe complications that may occur in people who have yellow eyes from jaundice include skin bleeding, anemia , encephalopathy from liver disease, chronic hepatitis, sepsis, liver failure, kidney failure , and death. Therefore, if you have yellow eyes, you should see a doctor for treatment and prevention of complications that may result from yellow eyes or jaundice.
Prevention of yellow eyes
Preventing yellow eyes or jaundice in infants can be done by breastfeeding at least 8–12 times a day, as breast milk has laxative properties, which may allow infants to excrete excess bilirubin through their stool. In addition,
There are several ways to prevent jaundice in adults, most of which involve preventing the underlying causes of jaundice. Examples of ways to prevent jaundice include:
- Prevent hepatitis infection by various methods, such as vaccination againsthepatitis A and B, keeping the body clean, wearing condoms during sex, and not sharing injection needles.
- Take the medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor to prevent overdoseand possible liver damage .
- Lose weight or maintain a normal weight.
- Control cholesterollevels to be within normal limits.
- Avoid smoking and reduce your alcohol intake.
- Avoid taking certain herbs or supplements, as some herbs or supplements may cause jaundice. Therefore, you should consult your doctor before taking any herbs or supplements to prevent jaundice.
