Liver disease symptoms and treatment jaundice. What is jaundice, signs and symptoms of jaundice in an adult. In the general case, there are three forms of jaundice, which are pathogenetic in nature.

Jaundice - disease state, characterized by the accumulation of bilirubin in the blood and its deposition in tissues with yellow staining of the skin, mucous membranes, and sclera of the eyes. Under jaundice medical science commonly understood as a disease of the biliary tract. It can also include diseases of the blood and liver.

Gospel disease (or popularly Jaundice) appears in a person if the bile produced by the liver is found in the blood, which leads to a change in the color of the mucous membrane and skin, i.e. they turn yellow. Bile also penetrates into the urine, giving it an uncharacteristic dark tint. Kal, in turn, becomes the opposite - very light. The cause of what is happening - may be a violation of the normal functioning of the liver due to viral hepatitis. The skin, sclera and mucous membranes become yellow, and the patient himself experiences nausea and vomiting.

Jaundice is a common noun denoting a group of sharp, sometimes chronic diseases inflammatory nature under common name"hepatitis". Most often, jaundice is popularly called hepatitis A, or Botkin's disease. This is a viral pathology, which is accompanied general intoxication body and liver dysfunction. Just jaundice, perhaps the most famous symptom among the people that accompanies hepatitis. Yellowing of the skin, sclera, mucous membranes occurs due to the fact that the liver does not process one of the bile pigments - bilirubin. The balance of bile in the body is disturbed, bilirubin is deposited in the tissues.

Causes of jaundice

Usually cause of jaundice is liver failure and impaired patency or blockage of the biliary tract, through which bile salts and pigments are removed to the intestine. Bile mixes with blood, which causes yellow skin. blockage bile ducts occurs due to the appearance of stones or inflammation of the liver with viral hepatitis, less often with typhoid, malaria, tuberculosis.

As minor causes of jaundice, there may be diseases in the genitourinary system:

the appearance of kidney stones;
kidney failure;
cholecystitis;
some viral infections and inflammations internal organs.

Manifestations of jaundice: loss of energy, irritability, headache, fever, loss of appetite, constipation, nausea, a characteristic yellow tint to the skin and eyes, dark urine, Blunt pain in the region of the liver.

And although there are forms of hepatitis without showing signs of yellowing, in the article we will rely on this popular name for the disease. However, folk remedies for jaundice are not a way to get rid of yellowing as a symptom, but a complete folk treatment hepatitis A.

In the blood, there is an increase in the content of icteric pigment and its deposition first on the whites of the eyes, hard palate and under the tongue, then on the face, palms, and then on the skin of the whole body. With liver disease, the skin acquires a characteristic yellow tint; with violations of the function of the bile and hepatic ducts, it may have a greenish tint. Excess pigment comes out with urine, giving it the color of dark beer. Due to the cessation or decrease in the flow of bile into the intestines, the stool becomes a light clay color. Due to the lack of bile in the intestines, constipation, fermentation and putrefactive processes are usually observed; gases and stools often have fetid odor. An excess of bile in the blood and a violation of the normal functioning of the intestines lead to poisoning of the body with toxic substances, there is a breakdown, irritability, headaches, pressure drops, the heart beats less often, severe itching occurs.

Common signs of jaundice:

increase in body temperature;
the appearance of nausea, possibly dizziness;
the appearance of pain in the right hypochondrium;
yellowness of the sclera (proteins) eye;
blanching of the skin of the face and body, sometimes with a slight yellowish tint;
an increase in the size of the liver and spleen;
occurrence vein network in the abdomen.

Most often, jaundice accompanies cholelithiasis (the formation of stones in the gallbladder and bile ducts) and hepatitis (inflammation of the liver).

Classification of jaundice

We differentiate that jaundice, folk remedies for which will be presented below, from similar diseases associated with a change in the color of body tissues.

Mechanical jaundice- occurs as a result of the development of cholelithiasis - the stone clogs the common bile duct, the movement of bile into the intestine stops, bile ducts overflow and bilirubin enters the blood in excess.

Obstructive jaundice can only be treated with surgical intervention. And folk remedies for the treatment of jaundice can be used to restore strength and increase immunity in the postoperative period.

Hepatic jaundice- Occurs when infected with a virus chemical poisoning liver cells (including alcohol). There is a violation of the liver, bilirubin does not enter the intestines, its excess amount enters the blood.

Prehepatic jaundice- occurs as a result of an increase in the level of bilirubin in the blood due to excessive breakdown of erythrocytes (red blood cells). This is possible with various diseases, which have a name that unites them - hemolytic anemia, as well as in case of blood poisoning, malaria, poisoning, etc. Since erythrocytes contain bilirubin, it is released, and the liver cannot cope with its binding and excretion.

First of all, you need to take a laxative to cleanse the intestines. Then you should endure the juice fast for several days. Cup tomato juice in the morning with a pinch of salt and pepper - good remedy from jaundice. The next few days you need to eat only fruits 3 times a day with an interval of 5 hours. You can then go to simple easy carbohydrate food that does not contain fat, as well as eat fruits and vegetables. It is necessary to prevent digestive disorders, as well as intestinal blockage (exclude legumes). Drink more fluids such as mineral water, and there are lemons, onions and pomegranates.

Folk remedies for jaundice

Calamus is an effective treatment. It is necessary to pour one or two tablespoons of grated calamus root with one cup of boiling water and leave for about twenty minutes, then drain through cheesecloth. It is necessary to take such an infusion in half a cup about four times a day.

You can also treat with buckwheat. It is worth grinding a small amount of buckwheat with straw and pouring this mixture with two liters hot water. Leave to infuse for about two to three hours, until the amount of water in the container containing the mixture reaches half a liter. After that, the broth should be drained through gauze and add about five hundred grams of honey to it. Then brew again for about five minutes. As a result, a rather viscous and bitter mixture will appear. You need to use such a drug one to two tablespoons every two hours every day. You need to take the drug until the pain subsides and the skin acquires a natural color.

Many advises to drink juice from cabbage, preferably sauerkraut. The reception interval is about two to three hours before meals daily. The course of treatment is extended until the person is cured. The standard course is about two weeks.

Traditional medicine suggests drying hazel leaves and then add one teaspoon of ground leaves to a container, pour a mug of white wine. You need to use this mixture all day before meals. It is believed that within twelve to thirteen hours the jaundice will pass.

You can also refer to dandelion. To do this, take two or three tablespoons of grated dandelion and place in a mug. Pour a small amount boiling water and leave for about eight hours. It is necessary to take medicine for jaundice in a quarter of a cup four times a day before meals.

Many advise mountain ash. It is advisable to eat rowan berries one hundred grams three times a day half an hour before meals. An effective method treatment is also drinking juice from mountain ash. It also needs to be consumed in a quarter cup three times a day thirty minutes before meals.

Video - How to cure the liver without drugs. Personal experience

Folk recipes for the treatment of jaundice

Infusion of hoof and immortelle

15 g of hoof leaves and immortelle flowers (in a ratio of 1: 1) pour 1 tbsp. boiling water. The mixture is infused for 3 hours, after which it is filtered. The infusion is taken in 4 doses in the amount of one glass per day.

Decoction of immortelle

Immortelle (25 g) is poured into 1 liter of water, after which it is brought to a boil and boiled. The broth is ready when its amount has decreased exactly by half. The cooled mixture is filtered and taken in an amount of 50 g half an hour before meals 3 times a day.

Decoction of chaff for jaundice

crushed oat straw(half) pour 1 liter of boiling water. After cooking the mixture, half the volume should remain. It is filtered and taken in the amount of 1 tbsp. before meals 3 times a day.

Sauerkraut juice

Every 3 hours you should drink 1 glass of juice drained from a container with sauerkraut. The approximate duration of treatment is from 1 to 2 weeks.

willow bark

Dried and crushed willow bark (60 g) is poured hot water(1 l) and boil for 20 minutes. A day later, the broth is filtered and taken half a cup before meals 3 times a day.

Infusion of hazel leaves

Dried hazelnut leaves (1 tsp) are poured in the evening 1 tbsp. white wine. In the morning, the infusion can be used for its intended purpose. Taken in 3 doses. The recommended duration of treatment is 2 weeks.

Infusion of celandine

Celandine grass (2-3 tsp) is poured with hot water (1 cup) and brought to a boil. The mixture is infused (1-2 hours), filtered and taken throughout the day in a sip.

Herbal collection №1

You should take bearberry leaves (1 hour), knotweed grass (1 hour), corn stigmas (1 hour), bean pods (1 hour) and grass jumper naked (1 hour) and mix thoroughly. The mixture in the amount of 15 g is poured with a glass of boiling water and infused for about 3 hours. The infusion is filtered and taken warm, half a glass at a time, 3 times a day.

Herbal collection №2

It is necessary to mix 25 g of sage and 25 g of wormwood. One teaspoon of the mixture is poured with a glass of boiling water and infused for one hour. The infusion is filtered and taken in 4 tbsp. 3 times a day.

Herbal collection №3

A mixture is being prepared from a three-leaf watch (30 g), immortelle flowers (40 g), mint leaves (20 g) and coriander seeds (20 g). Two tablespoons herbal collection poured into two glasses warm water. The mixture is boiled for 10 minutes. and infused for about 1 hour. Strained broth is taken in half a glass for 20 minutes. before meals 3 times a day.

Treatment of jaundice with herbs that have a choleretic effect

Immortelle ware

25 g of immortelle grass pour 1 liter of water and boil (steam) until the volume decreases to ½ liter, strain. Drink 50 g 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals, treatment is carried out until complete recovery.

Collection of five herbs

10 g of common hop fruit, rhizome with roots of valerian officinalis - 20 g, wormwood herb - 20 g, peppermint leaves - 20 g, St. John's wort herb - 30 g 3 teaspoons of the mixture boil for 15-20 minutes in a glass of water , stand for 20 minutes, strain. Take a glass in the morning and evening with cholangitis, cholecystitis.

Claw with immortelle flowers

Wild hoof - 1 part, immortelle flowers - I part. 15 g of the mixture in a glass of boiling water insist, wrapped, 3 hours; strain. Drink a glass during the day for 3-4 doses.

St. John's wort and immortelle infusion

St. John's wort - 2 parts, immortelle grass - 3 parts 4 tablespoons of the mixture pour 1 liter cold water, insist 12 hours, then boil for 5-10 minutes, strain. Drink ½ cup 4 times a day after meals. It is used for liver diseases.

A decoction of St. John's wort, dandelion root, immortelle flowers, chamomile flowers and centaury grass

St. John's wort - 8 parts, dandelion root - 8 parts, immortelle flowers - 3 parts, chamomile flowers - 3 parts, centaury herb - 3 parts 3 teaspoons of the mixture brew a glass of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes, strain. Drink a glass in the morning and evening with cholecystitis.

Decoction of herbs, roots and berries

Dioecious nettle leaves - 2 parts, rose hips - 2 parts, knotweed grass - 1 part, blue cyanosis root - 1 part, golden volodushka grass - 1 part. Brew 3 tablespoons of the mixture in a thermos with 0.75 liters of boiling water, leave for 2-3 hours, strain. Drink a day in 3-4 doses 20 minutes before meals (for chronic angiohepatocholecystitis). Long-term treatment (1.5-2 years), with every 8 weeks of treatment 10 days break. It is used in diseases of the liver and bile ducts.

A decoction of herbs, leaves and fruits of juniper

Warty birch leaves - 25 g, common juniper fruits - 25 g, wormwood grass - 25 g, yarrow grass - 25 g. Cook for 20-25 minutes in a glass of water, leave for 15 minutes, strain. Take a glass in the morning and evening with cholecystitis, cholangitis.

A decoction of five herbs and calamus roots

Peppermint leaves - 15 g, common agrimony herb - 15 g, officinalis herb - 15 g, common yarrow herb - 15 g, tricolor violet herb - 15 g, calamus rhizome - 15 g. Boil 20-25 minutes in a glass of water, leave for 20 minutes, strain. Drink a glass in the evening with cholecystitis, cholangitis.

A decoction of buckthorn bark, chicory root and dandelion

Brittle buckthorn bark - 20 g, common chicory root - 40 g, medicinal dandelion root - 40 g. Cook a tablespoon of the mixture for 25-30 minutes in a glass of water, strain. Take a glass in the evening with cholecystitis, cholangitis.

Decoction of leaves, herbs and bark of barberry

Walnut leaves - 10 g, lemon balm leaves - 10 g, common shandra herb - 10 g, centaury herb - 10 g, wormwood herb - 10 g, common barberry bark - 10 g. Prepare a decoction from a tablespoon of the collection to a glass of water. Drink 3 glasses a day for cholecystitis, cholangitis.

Grandma's methods: a complex collection for a decoction of jaundice

Dog-rose fruit (pounded)- 3 parts, dandelion root - 3 parts, corn stigmas - 3 parts, horsetail shoots - 3 parts, sandy immortelle flowers - 4 parts, white rose petals - 2 parts, wild strawberry fruits - 2 parts, chamomile flowers - 2 parts, common juniper fruits (crushed) - 1 part, forest cudweed herb - 1 part, white birch leaf - 1 part, garden dill seeds - 1 part, underground part of calendula officinalis - 1 part. Brew a tablespoon of the mixture with 0.5 liters of boiling water, simmer for 30 minutes, strain. Drink 150 ml 3 times a day 10-15 minutes before meals for diseases of the liver and gallbladder.

Treatment of jaundice in newborns and adults depends on many factors. Initially, you need to understand the reasons for its occurrence. Necessarily such people need to prevent the development of hepatitis, namely. Babies with in without fail must be vaccinated.

Jaundice in newborns is a very common occurrence. If all the symptoms of the disease disappear after 21 days after birth, then they speak of physiological jaundice. In this case, the yellowness of the skin is caused by the immaturity of the liver. If the jaundice in the baby does not go away for more than a month, then this is already pathological condition that requires treatment.

Important! Delayed treatment can cause severe complications.

Jaundice can be treated in several ways:

Phototherapy. This is the safest and easiest treatment for newborns with light. A phototherapy lamp is used.
Conservative therapy medicines. If the bilirubin balance is disturbed, drugs such as Zixorin, Benzonal and Phenobarbital are prescribed. Additionally, enterosorbents are used.

AT severe cases the child is given a blood transfusion.

Conservative treatment of jaundice is used in violation of metabolic processes. Phototherapy is prescribed for newborns even with physiological jaundice to quickly get rid of the yellowness of the skin and avoid complications.

During this procedure, the child is placed in a special incubator and 4 lamps are directed at him. Light penetrates the skin and promotes the transformation of excess bilirubin. As a result, all symptoms disappear instantly. During phototherapy, doctors take all safety measures, cover the eyes and genitals of boys.

In some cases, after phototherapy, the child needs to be restored water balance. After the procedure, infusor therapy is performed.

Newborns with jaundice can be vaccinated no earlier than a month after recovery. If you get vaccinated during jaundice, you can aggravate the condition of the child.

Is there a relationship between hepatitis vaccination and jaundice?

Doctors say that the vaccine does not affect the appearance of jaundice in any way. But the real picture looks very different. Many mothers claim that after vaccination against hepatitis B, their children had yellowing of the skin.

At home, it is impossible to treat jaundice in newborns. How to treat jaundice in adults?

Adult Treatment

Treatment of jaundice directly depends on the cause of its occurrence, type and severity.

In some cases, adults with its manifestations can be managed with phototherapy and diet. For some liver diseases, adults cannot do without medication.
In hepatitis, a course of corticosteroid treatment is needed to prevent the development of cirrhosis of the liver and infection of other people. If an adult does not start therapy, then complications will not be avoided.
For hepatitis A, detoxification therapy is prescribed, treatment antiviral drugs not carried out. Therapy helps to get rid of all harmful substances, which have accumulated in the body at the time of violation of the functioning of the liver.
With jaundice, you need to direct all efforts to restore the liver. In this case, adults are prescribed hepatoprotectors ("Silibor" and "Silibinin"), as well as the drug "Essentiale".
Dieting during treatment in adults is very important so as not to burden the liver. You need to eat foods rich in protein, iron, B vitamins.
It is good to eat meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, vegetables and fruits, especially cucumbers, tomatoes and zucchini.

How to treat jaundice at home?

Folk and alternative medicine

You can cure jaundice at home with the help of folk remedies. To do this, you can use tincture of St. John's wort, wormwood, succession, celandine, plantain and extract corn silk.

Important! Before self-medicating, you need to consult a doctor. Some herbs have contraindications.

Decoctions of burdock, sorrel, milk thistle, elm bark and rhubarb root will help to cleanse harmful substances.
Cholagogue action possesses hydrangea, dandelion, magnolia and aloe.
Another effective tool alternative medicine are lice. The fact is that lice contain special substances that, getting into the human blood, kill the virus that caused jaundice. In order to be cured, you need to eat lice, but not everyone can do it.

Lice help at home to get rid of even hepatitis, but only for initial stage. Previously, people were treated this way, they ate lice alive.

Not everyone can swallow lice, so we provide a recipe for jaundice. Take the lice and roll them into a crumb of bread. You should get up to 10 balls with lice. They must be swallowed without chewing.

Despite the fact that this method is disgusting to many, lice really help to cure instantly.

Jaundice is a disease that cannot be overlooked: in a sick person, the skin, mucous membranes, sclera (whites of the eyes) become yellow. This has an explanation: as a result of a series pathological disorders bilirubin begins to accumulate in the body, which, in a normal state of health, is produced by the spleen, participates in metabolic processes and is actively excreted from the body, while maintaining its required level.

If this metabolic chain is broken, bilirubin begins to accumulate in the blood, which gradually manifests itself in the form yellow color mucous membranes and skin. There is also a deficiency hepatic function and violation of the outflow of bile.

Jaundice is a disease that cannot be overlooked

Jaundice is a fairly common disease, mainly referring to its viral form. It is very easy to get infected. To avoid this, you should be careful and know how jaundice is transmitted.

Jaundice is Hepatitis

The pseudonym "jaundice" usually means Botkin's disease, or. This disease is characterized by a violation of the functionality of the liver, a large accumulation of toxins in the blood.

However, this is not a complete answer to the question "What is jaundice?" It can be other hepatitis (B, C), toxic, bacterial, autoimmune, dosage forms diseases.

Signs of the disease

With some features, depending on the species, there are general symptoms jaundice, signs of varying degrees of intensity, by which jaundice is determined in an adult:

yellowish skin tone
the liver and spleen are enlarged
blood test shows increased content erythrocytes
venous network appears in the abdomen
allergic skin lesions with severe itching
discoloration of urine, it becomes dark
stool becomes grayish
paroxysmal or persistent nagging pain right under the ribs
poor appetite.

What is the cause of the disease

Jaundice of any kind is often not independent disease, but as a consequence or incidental violation in the body. The impetus for the development of the disease can be:

You need to know how jaundice is transmitted in order to understand what to avoid in order not to become infected. Main routes of transmission:

sexual intercourse with a person who has the virus or has jaundice
family members who already have the disease
drug use
travel or stay in the region with a high percentage incidence of jaundice.

Jaundice, so different...

Jaundice is different in that it has to be treated differently, depending on the intensity and duration of the disease. Since there are many factors that can provoke the disease, pathology can take various forms. Different types jaundices are diagnosed and treated separately.

Jaundice is Hepatitis

conjugation

Occurs more often in infants metabolic processes are still at the stage of development and therefore may acquire the character of a deviation from the norm.

Such jaundice in adults occurs when long-term exposure on the liver, for example, the use of certain medications. A disease of this etiology can also be a consequence congenital anomalies organism.

Hemolytic

It is not an independent disease, it develops as a result of pathologies that provoke the destruction of red blood cells with difficult removal of bilirubin from the body. The most common reasons are:

By name, you can understand that the liver tissue is affected - the parenchyma. Liver cells cease to function normally. As the pathology develops, their structure changes, which also affects the performance of the liver.

Most often, parenchymal jaundice develops against the background of the liver, and viral jaundice is also accompanied by this form of the disease.

The symptoms of jaundice of this form resemble the standard signs: the liver enlarges, the skin gives off yellowness. But other than that, skin acquire a reddish hue. On the body begin to form spider veins- capillary-venous formations.

Since parenchymal jaundice damages liver cells, treatment is aimed primarily at slowing down and stopping the processes of their degeneration. When contacting a doctor immediately after the onset of symptoms and following the instructions, the prognosis is favorable.

Hepatic

Hepatic jaundice, in turn, has a number of varieties, depending on the cause of its occurrence. Possible prerequisites include:

viral hepatitis
hepatitis due to alcohol abuse
drug intoxication of the liver
malignant formations in the liver.

This disease is also manifested by a yellowish skin color, in addition, there are such signs of liver-type jaundice:

nausea
loss of appetite
pain right under the ribs
grayish color of stool
dark urine.

Treatment of jaundice of this type is prescribed only after determining the cause of its occurrence, usually hepatic jaundice and the disease that caused it are treated together. The prognosis is usually positive.

Mechanical

Otherwise, this form of the disease is called obstructive jaundice.

Obstructive jaundice is a violation of the outflow of bile of varying degrees. If the obstructed movement of bile is caused by the presence of stones in the ducts, then this type of jaundice is considered benign. The patient is cured by removing the stones.

There is mechanical jaundice dangerous kind. If malignant tumors interfere with the outflow of bile, it is carried out surgical intervention aimed at normalizing the amount of bile entering the small intestine. Obstructive jaundice can be very acute, it depends on how blocked the bile ducts, in the absence of immediate measures is a threat to life.

There are other types of jaundice that only occur in young children.

physiological jaundice

Occurs in newborns in the presence of problems with adaptation to the new environment. Causes may also be related to an underdeveloped metabolic and bilirubin system. Weak and premature babies get sick more often. Pathology is manifested by yellowness of the skin, mucous membranes. The child has drowsiness.

neonatal jaundice

A dangerous form of jaundice, characterized by rapid rise concentration of bilirubin in the blood. Occurs immediately after birth, is a danger to the development of the child's brain. It must be treated quickly and effectively.

How is jaundice diagnosed?

If there are signs of jaundice, even slightly similar to those described above, you should immediately consult a doctor. With timely treatment, the pathology is eliminated quite quickly, without loss of quality of life.

For staging accurate diagnosis research is being carried out:

blood test for and general
blood test for bilirubin
examination of the liver to determine the degree of functionality
liver - with its help determine the cause of the disease and the degree of damage to the organ.

How is the disease treated

The treatment regimen is prescribed by the doctor after a comprehensive examination and identification of the possible cause of the disease. Each form has its own most effective ways of healing.

Jaundice is treated conservatively, surgery can be used only in case of serious neglect of the disease, then organ transplantation is performed.

Under normal therapeutic treatment appointed medications and drugs:

steroids
phototherapy, a method of treating tissues by exposure to light waves different lengths(hole, sunlight etc.)
plasmapheresis, a method of blood purification by filtering it
strict diet
If one of the most severe and dangerous forms- autoimmune - a course of treatment with corticosteroids can be carried out.

All these activities are aimed at:

preservation and, if possible, restoration of liver function
prevention of liver cirrhosis
protecting other people from infection viral forms diseases (the doctor will tell you in detail how jaundice is transmitted).

One of the main conditions for a successful cure is timely appeal to the doctor. It is impossible to allow the pathological process to develop so much that the destruction of tissues becomes irreversible. In this case, the only way to save the patient is organ transplantation.

With Botkin's disease () in most cases, the body heals itself.

The doctor prescribes medicines and preparations that help the recovery processes that occur independently in the human body, such as the removal of toxins, the reduction of the level of harmful substances:

vitamins, glucose
for the speedy restoration of liver functionality are prescribed ("Liv 52", "Essentiale Forte", "Heptral", "Karsil")
antispasmodics are recommended ("No-shpa", "Papaverine", etc.).

The success of the treatment of jaundice depends on the patient, on the exact following of the doctor's recommendations.

Important! You need to know that the liver is the only organ whose functionality, with the right and regular treatment and cleansing is able to recover almost to normal levels.

You just need to help your body on your own, follow the doctor's instructions, take medicines in the indicated doses exactly for the specified period of time.

An important part of the liver healing process is diet. The doctor will recommend a diet plan that will help reduce the load on the liver, and at the same time will be nutritious, high-calorie and healthy. The main rules of nutrition:

There are many special diets and diets that you can follow to create for your liver. ideal conditions recovery.
There should be a lot of protein foods: meat, fish, poultry, dairy products (while it is better to give preference to fermented milk products). This will provide the body with protein - a building material for recovery processes, iron, vitamins and trace elements. The use of the liver will provide right amount folic acid- It is needed for blood formation.
Dried fruits, especially dried apricots, are very useful for the liver and digestion in general. You can cook compotes, eat a little steamed.
Bread is better if slightly stale.
Vegetables are an indispensable part of the diet for the liver. Cabbage, zucchini, carrots, tomatoes - all this should be eaten raw or boiled. Also great importance have fruits and natural juices.
You will have to give up alcohol, fatty, fried foods, hot spices and spices. The liver is weakened by disease, and additional load she has nothing to do.
As with most diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, you need to eat small portions, several times a day.

In the East, the liver is considered the center of human life, and its importance in the state of the body can hardly be overestimated. Therefore, you need to pay attention to any symptoms that deviate from the norm, do not be too lazy to visit a doctor - then even with the onset of the disease, it will be possible to save normal condition body and happy life healthy person.

Bilirubin is one of the key components of bile. Most of it is formed during the breakdown of hemoglobin. This process takes place in the liver, spleen, lymph nodes and bone marrow. In an adult, the amount of bilirubin formed can reach 300 mg per day. AT bloodstream it can be of two types:

Free bilirubin can provide toxic effect on the cells. An increase in this fraction indicates an increased breakdown of red blood cells. Through their physical and chemical properties unbound bilirubin penetrates the lipid membrane of cells, disrupting its basic functions.
Connected which is produced in the liver. It does not have toxic properties and enters the small intestine as part of bile. Most of absorbed back into the bloodstream along with bile acid, the residue after a chain of chemical transformations is excreted from the body.

The reasons

The cause of jaundice is an excess of bilirubin, which can appear with the following pathologies:

True jaundice occurs due to an imbalance between the formation of bilirubin and its excretion.

It is subdivided into the following forms:

suprahepatic, which is due to increased processes of bilirubin formation;
hepatic, the appearance of which is associated with a violation of the capture, binding and release of bilirubin by hepatocytes;
subhepatic, associated with a violation of the excretion of bilirubin in the composition of bile through the extrahepatic bile ducts.

In pediatric practice, neonatal jaundice occurs due to a change in the fetal type of hemoglobin to an adult. This condition is physiological.

Symptoms

Clinical picture various forms jaundice is similar, however, each of them has its own characteristics. Patients are usually concerned about the following symptoms:

yellowness of the skin;
violation of the general condition;
fatigue, irritability;
dyspeptic disorders;
changes in the color of physiological functions.

In addition to the above complaints, the patient may experience discomfort in the projection of the liver and gallbladder associated with inflammatory or oncological pathology.

Diagnostics

For a complete diagnosis of jaundice, in addition to a thorough history taking and examination, it is important to use all laboratory and instrumental methods.

Anamnesis

Questioning the patient allows you to determine:

occupational hazards(contact with rodents, exposure to toxic substances);
family history, allowing to suspect the presence of a hereditary pathology;
the presence of contacts with icteric patients;
injection or surgical procedures (especially blood transfusions) in the previous 6 months;
trips to hepatitis-endemic areas;
reception medicines that can cause the development of jaundice;
the nature of the onset of the disease;
alcohol consumption.

Inspection

During the examination by a specialist, the following signs draw attention to themselves:

icteric color of conjunctiva, mucosa soft palate and lips, skin, especially well manifested in natural light;
weight loss, characteristic of tumor processes;
at hemolytic anemia pallor of the skin appears;
extrahepatic signs, which include spider veins, reddening of the palms, discoloration;
traces of scratches;
expansion of the umbilical veins;
free fluid in the abdominal cavity.

Palpation

Palpation helps to identify enlarged borders of the liver and spleen, although the size of the organs does not correlate with the stage. pathological process. In addition to the value, determine:

Availability pain syndrome, which often accompanies acute inflammatory diseases. For chronic pathology pain is characteristic in the active stage of the process.
Tactile liver and spleen of dense consistency, with clear edges.
With blockage of the common bile duct, an enlarged gallbladder can be palpated.

Laboratory methods

Holding clinical analysis blood in patients with jaundice shows:

changes in the number of leukocytes, which decreases with the hepatic genesis of jaundice, increases in the case of a tumor process or cholangitis;
decrease in the number of red blood cells with the appearance in the general circulation immature forms indicates hemolytic anemia;
observed with hepatic jaundice.

In the biochemical analysis of blood, the following changes are observed:

rising level total bilirubin, the change in its fractions occurs depending on the form of jaundice;
the level of albumins decreases;
markers of hepatocyte damage appear;
the activity of enzymes of the blood coagulation system decreases;
the concentration of free iron increases.

Instrumental diagnostic techniques

The most informative instrumental diagnostic methods include:

ultrasound procedure abdominal organs;
computed tomography;
laparoscopy;
punch biopsy.

Let's take a closer look at each technique. Ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs refers to non-invasive methods and allows you to identify:

exact dimensions liver and spleen;
stones in the gallbladder;
the nature of changes in the liver (diffuse or focal);
pathology of the pancreas or intestines;
changes in the patency of the bile ducts and the level of obstruction.

Computed tomography allows for differential diagnosis of subhepatic and hepatic jaundice. In this case, the main criterion will be the diameter of the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts. In addition to determining the level of blocking the outflow of bile, CT scan allows you to determine its cause. The most frequent are:

cholelithiasis;
oncological pathology of the head of the pancreas;
enlarged hepatic lymph nodes.

Laparoscopy allows to more clearly visualize the nature of changes in the abdominal organs. Sometimes just holding it invasive method allows you to set the level and nature of obstruction of the bile ducts.

You can also use laparoscopy to:

visualize changes in the gallbladder;
to see the foci of tumor changes and excise the necessary areas for histological examination.

The efficiency of laparoscopy can be improved by using radiopaque techniques.

Needle biopsy and further histological examination performed in patients with an unclear diagnosis or when intrahepatic jaundice is suspected. Most often, the manipulation is carried out under the control of computed tomography or ultrasound. In case of violations of the blood coagulation system, a biopsy is done with sealing of the puncture channel.

If the patient's condition allows, then differential diagnosis use contrast methods x-ray examination. They pose a certain danger to the patient (bleeding, bile entering the abdominal cavity), therefore, their implementation is carried out at the final stage of diagnosis in a surgical hospital.

Treatment

The volume of therapy for patients with jaundice depends on the cause of jaundice, the form and course of the pathology. Treatment can be divided into 2 groups:

conservative;
Surgical.

main direction conservative treatment is the effect on the cause of the disease.

Methods of conservative treatment:

therapeutic nutrition that can normalize the outflow of bile;
antiviral therapy;
corticosteroids;
antispasmodics;
hepatoprotectors;
detoxification solutions;
vitamins;
sedative drugs.

Apart from drug treatment, effective ways to deal with excess bilirubin are:

plasmapheresis - blood purification from toxic substances;
phototherapy - the transfer of free bilirubin to bound due to the use of blue-violet radiation.

If conservative treatments fail, surgical removal causes of jaundice.

Complications

Complications are associated with the progression of diseases that caused the development of jaundice, and the direct effect of bilirubin on the body. The latter include:

toxic encephalopathy;
liver failure.

Young children may have mental retardation.

Prevention

Preventive measures for jaundice are aimed at preventing the diseases that cause it. For this you need:

observe the rules of personal hygiene;
avoid promiscuity;
timely pass preventive examination in the clinic;
limit alcohol consumption as much as possible.

Forecast

The prognosis for patients with jaundice depends on the underlying disease. With timely complex treatment he favorable. However, the development of kernicterus in newborns, severe oncological or hereditary pathology, viral are factors that make the prognosis worse.

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Jaundice is a symptom characterized by yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes.

Jaundice develops as a result of a buildup of a substance called bilirubin in the blood and tissues of the body.

Signs of jaundice

The most common signs of jaundice are:

yellowing of the skin, eyes and mucous membranes of the nose and mouth;
pale stool color (including white feces);
dark urine (the color of beer or tea).

Classification of jaundice

Suprahepatic (hemolytic) jaundice - occurs as a result of increased accumulation of bilirubin in the blood, which does not have time to process the liver. This happens with excessive breakdown of red blood cells - hemolysis, for example, with sickle cell anemia ( congenital disease when red blood cells are irregularly shaped and quickly destroyed) or the ingestion of various poisons into the blood, causing the destruction of red blood cells.
Hepatic (parenchymal) jaundice is a violation of the permeability or destruction of liver cells, as a result of which excess bilirubin enters the bloodstream. This happens with hepatitis, Gilbert's syndrome, cirrhosis, etc.
Subhepatic (mechanical) jaundice - occurs when there is a violation of the flow of bilirubin from the liver to the intestine along with bile. It happens with stones in the gallbladder or tumors.

Who is affected by the disease

Hepatic and subhepatic jaundice is more common in older and middle-aged people than in younger people. Prehepatic jaundice can occur in people of all ages, including children.

Jaundice can be avoided by healthy lifestyle life. For example, you can support normal weight body, do not abuse alcohol and minimize the risk of contracting hepatitis.

Treatment of jaundice

Treatment for jaundice in adults and older children will depend on the disease that caused it.

Newborn jaundice

Babies are often born with symptoms of jaundice. In the very early age the child has not yet fully formed the mechanisms for removing bilirubin.

As a rule, neonatal jaundice is not a cause for concern. It usually resolves without treatment within two weeks.

If the yellow coloration of the skin persists in the baby longer and is accompanied by other anxiety symptoms, contact a neonatologist (including, you can call the hospital where your child was born) or a pediatrician. Using our service, you can quickly find a neonatologist or pediatrician in your city.

Causes of jaundice

The cause of jaundice is an increased level of bilirubin in the blood, which penetrates into soft tissues giving them a characteristic yellow color.

Any disease that interferes with the flow of bilirubin from the blood to the liver and its excretion from the body can cause jaundice.

What is bilirubin?

Bilirubin is a breakdown product of red blood cells (erythrocytes). It is delivered with blood to the liver, from where, as part of bile, bilirubin enters the gallbladder, and then to the intestines.

AT digestive system bacteria convert bilirubin into urobilin and stercobilin, which are excreted from the body with urine and feces. It is bilirubin that turns urine yellow and feces dark brown.

Classification of jaundice

According to the mechanism of development of bilirubin retention in the body, three types of jaundice are distinguished:

Prehepatic (hemolytic) jaundice - occurs when excessive breakdown of red blood cells - hemolysis, which leads to the accumulation of bilirubin in the blood, which does not have time to process the liver. This happens, for example, with sickle cell anemia or the ingestion of various poisons into the blood, causing the destruction of red blood cells.
Hepatic (parenchymal) jaundice is a violation of the permeability or destruction of liver cells, as a result of which excess bilirubin enters the blood. This happens with hepatitis, Gilbert's syndrome, cirrhosis.
Subhepatic (mechanical) jaundice - occurs when something blocks the normal flow of bilirubin from the liver to the intestines along with bile. This happens with stones in the gallbladder or tumors.

The causes of each type of jaundice are described below.

Causes of suprahepatic jaundice are usually associated with excessive destruction of red blood cells - erythrocytes, which is called hemolysis. Hemolysis can lead, for example, the following diseases:

malaria, a blood-borne infectious disease spread by malarial mosquitoes, often found in tropical regions;
sickle cell anemia - congenital change forms of red blood cells, as a result of which they become brittle; in Russia - very rare, more common in dark-skinned people;
thalassemia - a genetic disease similar to sickle cell anemia, which also accelerates the destruction of red blood cells;
congenital non-hemolytic jaundice - a rare genetic disease in which there are no enzymes necessary to move bilirubin from the blood to the liver;
hereditary spherocytosis is a rare genetic disorder that reduces life cycle red blood cells.

The causes of hepatic jaundice are usually associated with damage to hepatocytes - liver cells:

viral hepatitis - hepatitis A, B and C;
alcoholic liver disease - when the liver is damaged as a result of alcohol abuse;
drug use and side effect drugs - the use of ecstasy and an overdose of paracetamol;
leptospirosis - bacterial infection that affects the kidneys, liver and nervous system; a person becomes infected more often by contact with water contaminated by sick animals, through animal products or by slaughtering animals;
mononucleosis - viral infection, the causative agent of which is the Epstein-Barr virus; manifested by fever, sore throat, enlarged liver and spleen, transmitted from person to person by airborne droplets, through saliva and blood;
primary biliary cirrhosis - rare autoimmune disease liver, which eventually leads to the development liver failure;
Gilbert's syndrome is a common congenital disease in which excess bilirubin accumulates in the blood; this is due to a lack of an enzyme that the liver needs to fully bind bilirubin with glucuronic acid and remove it from the body;
liver cancer - a rare and usually incurable type of cancer that develops in the liver;
exposure to substances harmful to the liver, such as phenol (used in the manufacture of plastics) or carbon tetrachloride (formerly widely used in the manufacture of refrigerators, but now its use is tightly controlled).
autoimmune hepatitis - rare disease, at which the immune system begins to destroy liver cells;
primary sclerosing cholangitis - a rare autoimmune liver disease, accompanied by damage to the bile ducts;
Dubin-Johnson syndrome is a rare genetic disease in which the liver does not remove bilirubin from the body, resulting in its accumulation.

The causes of subhepatic jaundice are associated with a violation of the outflow of bile:

gallstones that block the bile duct;
various types of tumors (pancreas, gallbladder, bile ducts) that compress the bile ducts;
acute or chronic pancreatitis - inflammation of the pancreas, which leads to swelling and compression of the bile duct.

Diagnosis of jaundice

Various methods are used to diagnose jaundice. laboratory tests and instrumental examinations, which allow you to determine the causes and severity of the condition.

Medical history and examination

Diagnosis of jaundice begins with a general examination and collection of complaints. The doctor will definitely ask you about how the disease began. You may be asked the following questions:

whether you had flu-like symptoms before jaundice (indicating hepatitis)
Are you experiencing other symptoms, such as abdominal pain, itchy skin, or weight loss?
whether you have recently been in a country where diseases such as malaria or hepatitis A are common;
Have you noticed changes in the color of urine and feces?
have you abused alcohol for a long time;
whether you take drugs (or have taken in the past);
whether you may have been exposed to harmful substances at work.

The doctor will definitely examine your legs to determine if there are any swelling (swelling of the legs, ankles and feet - possible sign cirrhosis, and also probe the abdomen (a noticeable increase in the liver is a possible sign of hepatitis).

Skin tone can help in diagnosing the type of jaundice. If the skin and mucous membranes have a lemon tint, this is a likely sign of hemolytic jaundice. With parenchymal jaundice, the skin color becomes bright yellow, yellow-saffron. With obstructive jaundice - greenish.

Analysis of urine

At various types jaundice in the analysis of urine, the concentration of substances such as urobilin (urochrome) and bilirubin changes.

With hemolytic jaundice, urobilin is usually increased in the urine, and bilirubin is absent.

With parenchymal jaundice, both bilirubin and urobilin increase.

With obstructive jaundice, urobilin will be absent in the urine, and the concentration of bilirubin will be sharply increased.

Biochemical analysis of blood and liver tests

A biochemical blood test is taken from a vein on an empty stomach. With it, you can indirectly judge the function of internal organs: the liver, kidneys, pancreas, gallbladder and heart. When jaundice occurs biochemical analysis blood necessarily includes liver tests - tests that allow you to diagnose diseases such as hepatitis, cirrhosis, alcoholic disease liver.

When the liver is damaged, it releases certain enzymes into the blood. At the same time, the level of proteins that the liver normally produces begins to fall.

By measuring the levels of these enzymes and proteins, one can get a fairly accurate idea of how well the liver is working.

You can also test your blood for markers of hepatitis and other infectious diseases.

Instrumental research

To identify the cause of jaundice, various instrumental studies are prescribed to visualize the internal organs and check for the presence of pathology in the liver or bile ducts.

These include the following:

ultrasound examination (ultrasound) - using high-frequency sound waves an image of the internal organs is created;
computed tomography (CT) - a series is being done x-rays, which are assembled by a computer into a detailed three-dimensional image of the organ;
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - using strong magnetic fields and radio waves, a detailed image is created internal structure part of the body being examined;
retrograde cholangiopancreatography (RCPG) - a study of the patency of the bile ducts using an endoscope (a small flexible fiber-optic camera), which is brought through the mouth, esophagus, stomach and intestines to the opening of the bile duct and a radiopaque pigment is injected there, then a series of x-rays are taken.

Liver biopsy

If cirrhosis or cancer is suspected, a liver biopsy may be ordered.

During the procedure, under local anesthesia, a thin needle is inserted into the abdomen to take a sample of liver cells for examination under a microscope.

Treatment of jaundice

The choice of treatment for jaundice will depend on the underlying cause.

Hemolytic (prehepatic) jaundice

The goal of treating hemolytic jaundice is to stop hemolysis, the breakdown of red blood cells that raises the level of bilirubin in the blood.

For an infectious disease, such as malaria, specific anti-infective drugs are usually recommended. At genetic diseases blood, such as sickle cell anemia or thalassemia, a transfusion of blood or blood components may be required to replace red blood cells.

Gilbert's syndrome usually does not require treatment, since the jaundice it causes is not dangerous and does not pose a serious health threat.

Parenchymal (hepatic) jaundice

With parenchymal jaundice, liver damage is difficult to repair, but over time it can recover on its own. Therefore, the treatment is to prevent further damage to the liver.

If it is called infectious disease, for example, viral hepatitis or mononucleosis, further damage can be prevented with antiviral drugs.

If the damage was caused by exposure to harmful substances such as alcohol or chemicals, it is recommended to avoid future contact with these substances.

At serious illnesses liver one of options treatment is a liver transplant. However, very few are suitable transplant candidates, and the number of donor organs is limited.

Mechanical (subhepatic) jaundice

In most cases, treatment obstructive jaundice performed surgically.

During surgery, the following organs may need to be removed:

gallbladder;
section of the bile ducts;
parts of the pancreas.

Prevention

Prevention of jaundice

Possible reasons There are so many jaundice that it is impossible to avoid them all, but there are some steps you can take to minimize the risk of the disease.

Alcohol

Most effective method prevention of jaundice complete failure from alcohol, especially if you have been abusing alcohol for many years.

If you are unable to completely give up alcohol, read more about allowable doses alcohol that can be taken by an adult.

If you find it difficult to drink in moderation, see your doctor. There are support services and special medications that can help you cut down on your alcohol consumption.

Prevention of infectious hepatitis

Which doctor should I contact for jaundice?

If you experience any of the above signs of jaundice, contact your doctor immediately. These are important warning signs indicating that normal work body has been disturbed. Initial diagnosis jaundice is usually dealt with by a general practitioner, as this symptom may be due to diseases various systems and organs. With the help of the service NaPopravku you can quickly find a therapist, family doctor or a pediatrician - for a child. After clarifying the causes of jaundice, you may need to consult more specialized specialists:

infectious disease specialist - if jaundice is caused by an infection, for example, viral hepatitis;
gastroenterologist - if the cause is in diseases of the digestive system, for example, with cirrhosis of the liver;
abdominal surgeon - if an operation is necessary, for example, with cholelithiasis;
oncologist - if a tumor is suspected.