Quick Answer
Jaundice means yellowing of the eyes and skin from raised blood bilirubin. It is a symptom that can come from many causes — viral hepatitis, alcohol, drugs, autoimmune disease, gallstones, bile-duct obstruction or cancer. Dr. Anando Sengupta performs a structured workup with blood tests, ultrasound, MRCP and ERCP/EUS at Fortis Shalimar Bagh to find the cause and treat it appropriately.
Symptoms
- Yellow eyes (the earliest sign), then yellow skin and tongue
- Dark, tea-coloured urine
- Pale, clay-coloured stool (in obstructive causes)
- Itching all over the body
- Fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite
- Right-upper-abdomen pain
- Fever & chills (in cholangitis)
- Weight loss (in malignant causes)
Urgent care needed if: high fever with shivering, severe abdominal pain, drowsiness or confusion, bleeding gums, pregnancy with jaundice, or rapid deepening of yellow colour.
Three categories of jaundice
| Type | Mechanism | Common causes |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-hepatic | Increased red-cell breakdown | Haemolysis, malaria, thalassaemia, G6PD deficiency, Gilbert syndrome |
| Hepatic | Liver cell injury | Viral hepatitis A/B/C/D/E, alcoholic hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, drug-induced |
| Post-hepatic / Obstructive | Block in bile flow | Bile duct stones, strictures, pancreatic cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, primary sclerosing cholangitis |
Diagnostic workup
| Test | What it shows |
|---|---|
| LFT (total/direct/indirect bilirubin, ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, albumin, INR) | Type and severity |
| CBC, reticulocyte count, peripheral smear | Haemolysis |
| Viral hepatitis A, B, C, E panel | Viral cause |
| Autoimmune markers (ANA, ASMA, AMA, IgG levels) | Autoimmune liver disease |
| Ultrasound abdomen | Liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, ascites |
| MRCP / CT | Bile duct anatomy, stones, masses |
| EUS | Detailed pancreatic / bile duct evaluation, FNA |
| ERCP | Therapeutic stone removal, stenting |
Treatment
Treatment depends entirely on the cause:
- Viral hepatitis — supportive care, antivirals where indicated, vaccination of contacts
- Alcoholic hepatitis — alcohol abstinence, nutrition, corticosteroids in severe cases
- Autoimmune hepatitis — corticosteroids + azathioprine
- Drug-induced — immediate withdrawal of offending drug
- Gallstone in bile duct — ERCP with sphincterotomy & stone extraction
- Bile duct stricture — ERCP balloon dilatation, stenting; surgery if benign & localised
- Pancreatic / bile duct cancer — biliary stenting + multidisciplinary oncology care
Frequently Asked Questions
Jaundice is the yellowish discolouration of skin, eyes (sclera) and mucous membranes caused by elevated bilirubin in the blood (above 2 mg/dL). It is a symptom, not a disease — the underlying cause must always be identified.
Pre-hepatic (excess red cell breakdown), hepatic (liver cell injury — viral hepatitis, alcohol, drugs, autoimmune), and post-hepatic / obstructive (gallstones, bile duct stricture, pancreatic or bile duct cancer).
Not always. Mild viral hepatitis A or E in young adults usually settles in 3–6 weeks. But high-grade jaundice with fever, abdominal pain or weight loss may signal severe liver injury, biliary obstruction or malignancy — needing urgent care.
There are no scientifically proven home remedies. Rest, adequate fluids, balanced food, avoidance of alcohol and unnecessary medications, and following the specialist's plan are most effective. Many herbal "jaundice cures" cause additional liver damage and should be avoided.
Yes. Stones that migrate from the gallbladder to the bile duct (CBD) cause obstructive jaundice with pain, fever and chills. ERCP-guided stone removal usually clears the obstruction immediately.
Yes. Dr. Anando Sengupta consults at North Delhi Nursing Home, Ashok Vihar Phase II (Mon–Sat, 5:30–7:30 PM) — within easy reach of Model Town (3 km), GTB Nagar, Mukherjee Nagar, Wazirpur and Shastri Nagar. Morning slots and procedures (endoscopy, colonoscopy, ERCP, EUS) are at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh (~3 km from Pitampura, with cashless insurance on all major panels). Both clinics serve patients from across North Delhi.
