Jaundice
Jaundice is when your skin and 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.
See a GP urgently if:
- your skin and the whites of your eyes look yellow
You may also have itchy skin, darker wee and paler poo than usual.
Causes of jaundice
Jaundice is caused by the build-up in your body of a yellow substance called bilirubin.
There are lots of possible reasons for this and some of them are serious. They include:
- gallstones
- alcoholic liver disease
- pancreatitis
- hepatitis
- sickle cell disease
Treatments for jaundice depend on what's causing it.
Newborn jaundice
Jaundice is common in newborn babies and is usually harmless.
Find out about newborn jaundice.
