Even though yellow skin is a more severe problem in infants than adults, it can appear at any age. Yellow skin can be caused by a variety of factors. While some of them aren't serious, others can get to complications and must be treated as soon as possible by a doctor. In this article, we will show you ways of preventing the yellowing of skin, also known as jaundice, and when to get our GP treatment for yellow skin in Costa del Sol.
What is yellow skin?
The medical term for yellowing of the skin and eyes is "jaundice." Yellow skin is not a disease, but it's a sign of several different illnesses. Yellow skin forms when the blood has a high level of bilirubin in it. When red blood cells get old or damaged, they break down, and that is when bilirubin forms, which is a yellowish compound.
What causes yellow skin?
Yellow skin develops when the body is not able to manage the bilirubin produced by broken red blood cells. Normally, bilirubin travels through the bloodstream to the liver, where it combines with the bile and travels through the bile ducts to the digestive tract, where it is excreted.
Bilirubin is often eliminated by stools, with a small amount passing through urine. When this process does not work as it should, bilirubin builds up in the blood and is accumulated in the skin. Due to its brownish-yellow colour, a high level of bilirubin can cause the skin to appear yellow.
Some conditions that cause yellow skin are:
- Newborn jaundice, which is a common condition that happens when a baby's level of bilirubin is high in the blood right after birth. Their liver is also immature and it's not able to process all of the extra bilirubin yet.
- Suboptimal intake jaundice, which occurs when newborns are not receiving enough breastmilk. It goes away on its own most of the time as the baby’s liver develops and as the baby starts to be fed, which helps the passage of bilirubin through the body.
- Hepatitis, which causes damage to the liver, and it prevents it from removing bilirubin from the bloodstream efficiently. This inflammatory condition is caused by autoimmune disease, infection, medications, extreme blood loss, toxins, alcohol or drugs.
What are the symptoms of yellow skin?
Sometimes, jaundice doesn't come with any symptoms and the condition could be discovered by accident. However, you should get our GP treatment for yellow skin in Costa del Sol in order to be professionally diagnosed. You can experience the following signs and symptoms if you suffer from a short-term case of jaundice, which is usually caused by an infection:
- Change in skin color.
- Dark-coloured urine and/or clay-coloured stool
- Flu-like symptoms.
- Chills.
- Abdominal pain.
- Fever
Can yellow skin be prevented?
There are many causes of jaundice, and specific preventive methods can be difficult to come up with. However, some general tips could include:
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Keep your alcohol consumption to the recommended level.
- Avoid hepatitis infection.
- Manage your cholesterol.
When to get our GP treatment for yellow skin in Costa del Sol?
If you have been diagnosed with yellow skin and got fever or abdominal pain, you should definitely visit a doctor, since these symptoms can be a life-threatening problem. Get our GP treatment for yellow skin in Costa del Sol in order to benefit from the best cure of jaundice and to prevent it from developing into any complications.