Overview
Jaundice is when your skin and the whites of your eyes turn yellow. It can be a sign of someting serious, such as liver disease, so you need to get urgent medical help.
Get advice from 111 now if:
- your skin and the whites of your eyes look yellow
You may also have itchy skin, darker wee and paler poo than usual.
Yellowed skin is a symptom of jaundice. The whites of your eyes may also look yellow.
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
Jaunice is common in newborn babies and is usually harmless.
Find out more about newborn jaundice.