Icterus, commonly known as Jaundice occurs when the bile pigment, i.e., bilirubin expands to abnormally high levels in the blood. Then the skin, sclera, mucous membranes, and body fluids turn into yellow. Jaundice is not a disease, but it’s a sign of some underlying diseases. The two most common diseases that result in Jaundice are Alcoholic liver disorder and viral hepatitis. As there are many causes for the Icterus, correctly diagnosing the underlying cause is essential for treatment. Also, depending on the cause of Jaundice, doctors will recommend the treatment for Jaundice. Hence, know the best Jaundice Treatment for newborns and adults.
What are the Causes of Jaundice?
Jaundice Treatment
When there are too many red blood cells dying for the liver to cope with, the yellow pigment builds up in the body which results in jaundice. The treatment would target the specific cause, rather than the jaundice itself. Once a diagnose of the disease, we should initiate the appropriate course of treatment for curing the disease. Some patients will require hospitalization, whereas others may be managed as outpatients at home. How to Treat Jaundice? In what way, can I start the treatment of Jaundice using self-care remedies are the common questions that rise to our mind right? Don’t worry, I will help you in choosing the best treatments for Jaundice as per your needs. Here, you can also get some useful tips for Jaundice in babies treatment.
Prevention and treatment of asthma
Jaundice cannot be treated or in other words, the treatment of jaundice is usually unnecessary. In addition to skin or eye whites or stool and urine discoloration, the most common symptom associated frequently with jaundice is itching (pruritus). The Itching can become severe and in some cases, the patients can cause sleep disruption and emotional distress.
Diagnosis of Jaundice
Doctors will diagnose the Icterus or jaundice based on the history of the patients and a physical exam for checking the abdomen. They will be checking the firmness of the liver; a firm liver indicates cirrhosis, while a rock-hard liver indicates cancer. The severity of hyperbilirubinemia is determined by several tests as follows.
Bilirubin Test
A bilirubin blood test will get an accurate count of all three bilirubin levels in your blood, i.e., direct, indirect, and total. To perform the test, a small amount of your blood is needed and the blood sample is obtained by venipuncture. For this, doctors will insert a needle into your vein through the skin in the arm or hand, and a small amount of blood comes out through the needle into tubing and is stored in a test tube. If the results show abnormally high levels of bilirubin, your doctor may order more tests for determining the underlying cause. Once the doctor has determined a cause of high bilirubin levels, you may take more bilirubin blood tests to monitor the effectiveness of your treatment.
Full Blood Count (FBC) or Complete Blood Count (CBC)
A full blood count (FBC) is a common blood test to check the general health of a person or to screen for conditions such as anemia and many other diseases. By performing this test, we can determine the levels of erythrocytes (red blood cells), thrombocytes (platelets), and leukocytes (white blood cells).
Hepatitis A, B, and C tests
Hepatitis virus panel is an array of tests conducted for Jaundice Treatment to detect viral hepatitis infections. First of all, the test distinguishes between the current and past infections. It also uses Antibody and Antigen tests that detect multiple types of viruses at a time.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan
MRI scanning uses some magnetic signals to create image slices of the soft tissues of the human body. Finally, the location and cause of the bile duct obstruction can also be identified through this test.
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Computerized Tomography (CT) or CAT scan
Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) is an imaging procedure that uses a thin X-ray to create detailed pictures, or scans, of areas such as soft tissues inside the body. Hence, CT Scan is useful for identifying the tumors and dilated bile ducts.
Abdominal Ultrasonography
Abdominal Ultrasonography test is conducted as a treatment for jaundice in identifying gallstones, tumors. It uses high-frequency sound waves for creating a two dimensional of soft tissues present inside the human body.
Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
For this test, you should swallow an endoscope (a tube) which reaches down to the bile duct. An x-ray contrast solution is then secreted to reveal the contrast-filled bile duct. So, the causes and location of a bile duct obstruction can be identified.
Liver Biopsy
A liver biopsy is performed to diagnose and monitor diseases that affect the liver and bile ducts. It is a medical process in which a small needle is inserted into the liver to collect a sample of tissue. These samples are taken and sent to a medical laboratory where a thorough examination was done to diagnose a variety of disorders and diseases.
Newborn Jaundice Treatment
Infant jaundice often disappears on its own within two to three weeks. For moderate or severe jaundice, the baby may need to stay or readmitted to the hospital. The best treatment for Jaundice in Babies is Phototherapy.
Phototherapy
Phototherapy or Light Therapy is a treatment with light. Doctors will use a process named photo-oxidation for infants to lower the bilirubin levels in the blood. The baby should place under special lighting that emits light in the blue-green spectrum. The light changes the shape & structure of bilirubin molecules in such a way that they can be excreted in the urine and stool.
Exchange Transfusion
Under this process, doctors repeatedly extract small amounts of blood, thereby diluting the bilirubin and maternal antibodies, and then transferring blood back into the baby.
Breast milk jaundice treatment
Certain chemicals in breast milk may be responsible for the newborn jaundice. There is no need of treatment and it resolves spontaneously. Since it occurs in breastfed newborns, mothers shouldn’t stop breastfeeding.
Icterus Medications
Medicines for jaundice treatment in adults may or may not be necessary. After diagnosing the cause of the jaundice, the doctor will direct the treatment and prescribe medications if they are necessary.
- Medications for nausea/ vomiting and pain.
- IV fluids in cases of dehydration.
- Antibiotics.
- blood transfusions.
- Antiviral medicines and Steroids.
- Chemotherapy/ radiation therapy, etc.
Is Surgery Necessary for Jaundice Treatment in Adults?
Surgery for the treatment of Jaundice may be necessary in certain cases of congenital malformations, conditions that obstruct the bile ducts, gallstones, cancer, and abnormalities of the spleen. In some cases, Liver transplantation may also be necessary.
Yellow Jaundice Home Treatment
Try out these easy to use home remedies which help to get rid of jaundice in adults & infants. Hence, by following one of these helpful tips, one can prevent from the Hyperbilirubinemia. After going through this, you can get the answer for How to cure jaundice at home.
- Have a balanced diet.
- Do some exercises for at least 30 minutes five times a week.
- Refrain from exceeding the recommended amounts of alcohol.
- Maintain the healthy weight and cholesterol levels.
- Take medicines as instructed by a medical practitioner in order to prevent some diseases such as potential liver damage or unintentional overdose.
- Avoid unsanitary water or potentially contaminated food products.
- Also, retain adequate hydration by drinking fluids and take rest as needed.
- Finally, avoid smoking since it is a risk factor for the development of pancreatic cancer.
Baby Jaundice Treatment at Home
The best infant jaundice treatment at home is adequate feeding. Hence, Breastfed infants must have 8 to 12 feedings a day for the first several days of life to prevent the Jaundice in Babies.