Yellow white of the eyes: causes and diseases that cause their color to change. What can a yellow complexion warn about and how to get rid of it? What causes the eyes to turn yellow?

Yellow whites of the eyes may indicate liver disease, infection, viral hepatitis, malignant neoplasms or conjunctiva. Yellowing of the whites of the eyes can also be caused by problems with the gallbladder and biliary tract.

Yellowing of the whites of the eyes due to liver disease

When the whites of the eyes acquire a yellow tint, it makes sense to be wary. Such changes may indicate liver disease. Since in the human body, namely in red blood cells, there is bilirubin - an enzyme whose breakdown can cause the formation of yellow spots. Bilirubin is produced in the liver, so when the whites of the eyes turn yellow, it is assumed that this organ is affected by the disease.

Yellow whites of the eyes can also signal problems with the liver such as hepatitis - a serious disease, a characteristic sign of which is yellowing of the skin, as well as the whites of the eyes. With jaundice, the tissues of the entire body turn yellow, thanks to the yellow pigment formed during the breakdown of bilirubin. During this process, a substance harmful to the body is released that negatively affects the nervous system.

Eye diseases characterized by yellowing of the whites

The whites of the eyes may take on a yellow tint due to the presence of neoplasms of the conjunctiva, such as melanoma. This disease is very serious, difficult to diagnose and difficult to treat. This disease is a type of cancer, and treatment must be carried out by appropriate specialists; independent actions in treatment are not allowed.

The whites of the eyes can take on a yellow tint if the visual organs themselves are diseased. Such ailments include pinguecula (the appearance of a yellow wen) and pterygium (overgrowth of the conjunctiva). These diseases may be associated with disruption of lipid metabolism.

Sometimes the whites of the eyes become yellowish when overworked and tired. Lack of sleep, dry indoor air and prolonged work at the computer can also be the reasons for this phenomenon.

Recommendations in such cases are fresh air and special soothing eye lotions. Such yellowness of the whites of the eyes is easily removable, but in serious cases, with various liver diseases and other pathologies, the yellowing of the whites does not go away until the underlying disease is eliminated.

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Yellow skin color

This is a yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes, which is especially noticeable on the eye sclera, the lower surface of the tongue (if the tongue is raised to the upper palate), and also on the palms of the hands. This is where jaundice appears first. Yellowing of the skin is also accompanied by darkening of the urine—beer-colored urine; this symptom appears first.

Yellowing of the skin is most often a sign of high levels of bilirubin in the blood. Sometimes the skin turns yellow when there is an increased level of carotene in the blood, which happens when you abuse carrot or orange diets.

Bilirubin is a blood pigment that is a breakdown product of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin, in turn, is an iron-containing protein that performs a transport function for oxygen and carbon dioxide and is found in erythrocytes - red blood cells.

There is false jaundice, when only the skin (not mucous membranes) is stained, due to the accumulation of carotenes in it due to excessive consumption of carrots, oranges, pumpkin, and medications (acryquin, picric acid).

Types of jaundice:

Depending on the level at which the process of removing bilirubin from the body suffers, there are 3 types of jaundice:

Hemolytic jaundice occurs with the accelerated breakdown of hemoglobin, when so much bilirubin is formed that the liver does not have time to convert indirect bilirubin into direct bilirubin. Therefore, in this type of jaundice, indirect bilirubin is increased.

Hepatic jaundice is caused by liver damage due to any reasons: viral hepatitis, drug or toxic liver damage, cirrhosis of the liver, alcohol damage, leptospirosis, pseudotuberculosis, etc. In this case, the content of direct bilirubin in the blood most often increases, which is explained by its reabsorption into the blood. blood flow due to the inability of liver cells to process it.

Cholestatic jaundice. It is a consequence of impaired bile movement due to blockage of the bile ducts. This can occur when the bile ducts or gallbladder are blocked by a stone or tumor. With cholestatic jaundice, direct bilirubin also increases to a greater extent, which is associated with its excessive accumulation in the bile ducts and reabsorption into the blood.

What diseases cause yellow skin color:

Diseases of the biliary tract:
- stones of the gallbladder and biliary tract.

In case of poisoning with drugs, alcohol, poisons, with extensive burns, hemorrhages.

Which doctors should you contact if yellow skin color occurs:

Are you worried about yellow skin color? Do you want to know more detailed information or do you need an inspection? You can make an appointment with a doctor– clinic Eurolab always at your service! The best doctors will examine you, study external signs and help you identify the disease by symptoms, advise you and provide the necessary assistance. you also can call a doctor at home. Clinic Eurolab open for you around the clock.

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Do you have yellow skin color? It is necessary to take a very careful approach to your overall health. People don't pay enough attention symptoms of diseases and do not realize that these diseases can be life-threatening. There are many diseases that at first do not manifest themselves in our body, but in the end it turns out that, unfortunately, it is too late to treat them. Each disease has its own specific signs, characteristic external manifestations - the so-called symptoms of the disease. Identifying symptoms is the first step in diagnosing diseases in general. To do this, you just need to do it several times a year. be examined by a doctor, in order not only to prevent a terrible disease, but also to maintain a healthy spirit in the body and the organism as a whole.

If you want to ask a doctor a question, use the online consultation section, perhaps you will find answers to your questions there and read self care tips. If you are interested in reviews about clinics and doctors, try to find the information you need on. Also register on the medical portal Eurolab to keep abreast of the latest news and information updates on the site, which will be automatically sent to you by email.

The symptom chart is for educational purposes only. Do not self-medicate; For all questions regarding the definition of the disease and methods of its treatment, consult your doctor. EUROLAB is not responsible for the consequences caused by the use of information posted on the portal.

If you are interested in any other symptoms of diseases and signs of human diseases, or you have any other questions and suggestions, write to us, we will definitely try to help you.

The eyes are called the mirror of the soul, and the physical state of the human body is often reflected in the eyes. For example, if the yolks of the eyes have changed color and acquired a yellowish tint, then a serious pathology may be occurring. Diseases that are accompanied by such a characteristic symptom can even be fatal. If you do not start treating the patient in a timely manner, the course of the disease can be unpredictable.

Quite often, people whose whites of their eyes have turned yellow do not bother to find the cause of such a pathological change. This indifference is due to the fact that this symptom does not cause pain and is not perceived by the patient as an alarming symptom. However, this approach is incorrect and dangerous. It is imperative to establish the reason for the change in shell color, even if only some areas have acquired a yellow tint. Such transformations can occur against the background of:

Various types of infections;
Viral hepatitis;
Pathological changes in liver tissue;
Diseases of the biliary tract;
The appearance of neoplasms of benign and malignant nature.

Only a doctor's opinion

In order to determine whether the change in color of the whites of the eyes is pathological, you need to consult a doctor and conduct a full examination. After this, we can already talk about whether it is worth panicking or whether there is no danger in the yellowing of the sclera. Interestingly, in some cases this color change is a consequence of congenital characteristics.

Below are the main reasons why yellow membranes of the eye may form.

Option #1. The problem is related to the internal pathology of the body

Typically, yellow whites of the eyes tell the patient that some pathological changes are occurring in his body. More often than others, liver diseases are diagnosed. Due to the fact that the cells of this organ bear a colossal load, the liver is very important for the normal functioning of the entire body. Therefore, at the slightest suspicion of its damage, you should visit a doctor.

With hepatitis of any type, a characteristic symptom is jaundice. This condition is also accompanied not only by a change in the color of the skin, but also the mucous membrane of the eye. Most often, jaundice appears with hepatitis type A, but can accompany the acute stage of hepatitis C or B.

Option number 2: changes in the color of the sclera in a newborn

In newborn babies, yellowing of the whites of the eyes is very common. This is due to the fact that after birth the child’s intrauterine hemoglobin, which has a slightly different structure, begins to decompose. As a result, a large amount of bilirubin is released into the baby's blood. It is this pigment that gives the yellow tint to the skin and eyes. After a couple of weeks, everything returns to normal and the signs of physiological jaundice in newborns disappear without a trace. The sclera of the eyes becomes white again.

Yellowing of the skin of the face and sclera of the eyes is an indicator of organic problems. Negative color changes in most cases are a sign that pathologies have appeared in the body associated with impaired absorption of nutrients, cardiovascular activity or liver disease.

The causes of yellowing of the skin and eye sclera may not depend on the state of health. Changes in body color are caused by orange or carrot diets, taking certain medications, and impaired removal of bilirubin from the body.

Bilirubin is an organic pigment formed during the breakdown of the protein substance in hemoglobin; it is contained in red blood cells - blood particles that perform a transport function. As bilirubin accumulates, a gradual yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes begins to be noticed. Accumulation of bilirubin is associated with liver disease.

Yellow skin - what are the reasons?

If we consider the reasons explaining why the skin and whites of the eyes have turned yellow, then liver diseases are in first place among the factors causing negative changes.

This condition occurs when the liver parenchyma is damaged or when there is increased hemolysis of red blood cells - erythrocytes. The consequence of organic disorders is a decrease or blocking of bile secretion.

The causes of liver dysfunction are:

infectious diseases - hepatitis of various etiologies, malaria, hemolytic anemia;
alcoholism;
drug use;
gallbladder disease.

Negative changes are not limited to yellowing of the whites of the eyes and body color.

Symptoms of diseases:

rapid fatigue after physical activity;
low-grade fever;
darkening of urine and the appearance of whitish stools;
nausea;
dizziness;

The second reason explaining why the skin turns yellow and the sclera of the eyes darken is disruption of the thyroid gland. It is she who produces substances that are responsible for the digestibility of beta-carotene. In this case, the whites of the eyes first turn yellow, and only then other symptoms associated with the general condition appear.

The general change in appearance begins with the eyes - the whites and irises, then the eyelids and face darken, and only then the pigmentation spreads throughout the body.

There is no need to look for diseases in your own body if you adhere to a mono-diet - carrot, pumpkin or orange. When suddenly switching to foods containing beta-carotene in excess, the body does not have time to adapt. The result is a change in pigmentation and a chicken-like skin tone.

Causes yellowness:

smoking - in this case, the change in pigmentation begins from the fingertips, and then the whites of the eyes are involved;
frequent depression and increased physical activity - the liver reacts with functional disorders, digestive and metabolic processes in the intestines are upset, and intoxication of the body begins;
eating disorders - problems with the gallbladder appear;
skin care using masks made from turmeric, cumin, carrots and sea buckthorn oil.

The latter cause does not cause changes in the pigmentation of the eyelids and whites of the eyes.

A person rarely notices yellowing of the skin himself - if the condition is not accompanied by painful symptoms - mainly those around him point out negative changes in appearance.

You should not try to solve the problem on your own - you should definitely consult a doctor. Diagnosis and treatment are prescribed only after a complete examination of the body - you will have to donate blood and urine for general and specific tests, and undergo special examinations.

Even if the skin turns yellow and the whites of the eyes change color due to malnutrition, this indicates temporary liver dysfunction. Without medical recommendations, it will be difficult to eliminate a cosmetic defect, even if you switch to a normal diet.

Infant jaundice

Newborns often have yellow skin in the first days after birth. The eye sclera in this case is also not bluish, as usual in infants, but has a sandy tint. In most cases, jaundice in newborns is of a physiological nature and is not a dangerous disease, such as adult hepatitis. It is explained by the newborn’s adaptation to extrauterine life.

The liver does not yet produce a sufficient amount of enzymes to remove bilirubin, or the simultaneous breakdown of a large number of red blood cells has occurred, without which the fetus would not survive in the mother’s body.

The baby’s body usually copes with adaptation on its own - pigmentation is restored 3-10 days after birth.

Physiological jaundice is not accompanied by negative symptoms:

the child is not capricious;
eats well;
physiological development is not impaired.

If parents notice a deterioration in health and the yellowness of the body does not go away by the 10th day of life, pathological jaundice can be suspected. In this case, you need to consult a doctor - pathological jaundice can be caused by congenital pathologies or genetic factors, acquired diseases... Pathological jaundice is treated with medications - in some cases, surgical intervention is necessary.

Yellowness of the skin and its treatment in adults

If changes in the pigmentation of the eye sclera and body color are associated with a health condition, self-medication is dangerous. In this case, it is necessary to put yourself in the hands of official medicine and strictly follow the instructions received.

Hepatitis of all types, diseases of the thyroid gland, oncological processes, diseases associated with the excretion of bilirubin and the absorption of nutrients are a direct threat to health, and sometimes life. If the doctor insists on giving up bad habits, the recommendations should be followed immediately.

When yellowness is mild, no organic reasons for changes in pigmentation have been identified - they are associated with disruption of the usual lifestyle, accumulated stress and fatigue, unfavorable environmental conditions - attention should be paid to the daily routine.

To return a healthy skin color in a short time, it is advisable to get rid of bad habits, balance rest and physical activity, try to avoid stress factors, and pay more attention to facial and body care.

Homemade masks made from the following products effectively whiten your skin:

cucumber;
parsley;
lemon;
cottage cheese;
sour cream;
chamomile oil.

If possible, it is advisable to visit a cosmetology office - salon procedures will help you cope with pigmentation changes faster.

At the first symptom of ailments against the background of yellowing of the sclera of the eyes, it is necessary to consult a doctor without waiting for changes in body pigmentation to appear. This sign indicates serious organic disorders.

An indicator of human health - skin, hair, eyes. The eyes should be clear, clean, whites and corneas without signs of yellowness. If it appears suddenly, you should definitely consult a doctor - a change in the color of the eyeball indicates problems in the body.

Do I need to call right away? "ambulance", if the whites of the eyes have turned yellow, and should you tune in to treat jaundice? No. Even the diagnosis of hepatitis is a more common name "jaundice"– has other symptoms, and the presence of the disease must be confirmed by a doctor. In addition, yellow eyes are not necessarily hepatitis A. There are many diseases that have the same sign, and not all require hospitalization.

Why are the whites of the eyes yellow?

If a person has yellow eyeballs, the reasons may be the following:

Yes and absolutely "harmless" the reasons for this condition, which do not require urgent treatment, but gradually undermine the body from the inside - chronic lack of sleep, constant sitting in front of a computer monitor, bad habits - in particular, smoking.

Yellowness in the eyes is a mandatory reason to see a doctor, even if there is no fever or nausea. It is always necessary to find out why the eyeballs have changed their color. The chance of eliminating ophthalmological diseases at the first sign of a change in the color of the eye whites is almost 100% - if the symptom is neglected, you can lose your vision.

The cause of yellow eyes is liver disease

Red blood cells in the human body contain bilirubin, which is produced by the liver. Why is bilirubin needed? This enzyme plays an important role in the digestion process - it emulsifies fats and prepares them for breakdown, which occurs in the duodenum. If there were no bilirubin, fat particles would not be absorbed. If bilirubin synthesis is increased or the body does not accept it, the whites of the eyes immediately turn yellow.

Impaired bilirubin production indicates liver pathologies of various types.

Diseases that affect liver function:

The following types of hepatitis are distinguished.

Hemolytic. It develops with the accelerated breakdown of hemoglobin - the liver does not have time to process the amount of indirect hemoglobin that is formed during the breakdown of red blood cells into direct hemoglobin.
Hepatic.

He is called:

Viral lesions. Symptoms of the disease with various strains of viruses: chills, headache, fever, fever, abdominal pain, nausea, loss of appetite, enlarged liver, change in the color of stool and urine - the stool becomes light and the urine becomes dark.
Leptospirosis. The onset is sudden, the temperature rises sharply, hemorrhagic syndrome, myalgia (muscle pain) appear, ESR increases, hemoglobin levels decrease, and thrombocytopenia occurs. The liver enlarges from the first days of the disease.
Toxic hepatitis develops acutely, and symptoms resemble viral hepatitis. The kidneys may be affected at the same time, resulting in renal failure. Liver function is impaired.
The symptoms of acute alcoholism resemble the development of viral hepatitis.

Additional symptoms are diarrhea, ascites.

Cholestatic jaundice. The bile ducts become blocked by stones or stagnation of bile, which causes nausea, dizziness, and pain in the right hypochondrium.
Enzymopathic jaundice. Due to a hereditary defect in the body's enzyme system, bilirubin synthesis is insufficient.

Jaundice in newborns rarely leads to pathological changes in the liver. It occurs in the first days after birth due to adaptation to the extrauterine period. Before birth, a huge number of red blood cells enter the fetal blood, and the liver cannot cope with the processing of bilirubin, which is released during their breakdown. Jaundice in newborns usually goes away on its own by 10-12 days of life.

Jaundice in newborns is dangerous if the parents' Rh factor is incompatible. In this case, infants require treatment.

Chronic liver diseases may have the following symptoms: pain in the right hypochondrium, nausea, enlarged spleen, low-grade fever, esophageal varices, ascites, anemia and others.

Treatment of all liver diseases is the prerogative of the doctor. In this case, traditional methods can only have an additional effect.

The whites of the eyes have turned yellow - ophthalmological reasons

Yellowness of the eyeball and iris can be caused by malignant formations of the tissues of the organ of vision - most often the conjunctiva. Yellowness is one of the symptoms of melanoma in the eye area. So you shouldn’t delay visiting an ophthalmologist if you have unpleasant sensations in the eye socket and yellow spots on the surface of the eye, which can be seen when looking at yourself in the mirror.

Whites turn yellow in diseases such as pinguecula and pterygium.

A pinguecula is a small formation similar to a wen, which is localized due to a disorder of lipid metabolism in the body on the eyeball.

Pterygium is a growth of the conjunctiva of the eye (popularly called the disease "wild meat"). It begins to extend onto the sclera and reduces the field of view.

Treatment of pinguecula and pterygium is surgical. Pterygium can only be eliminated at the initial stage. If the conjunctiva grows so much that it closes the pupil, then reverse restoration is impossible.

All eye diseases are a reason to consult an ophthalmologist.

Gilbert's disease

This disease also has a second name – constitutional jaundice. Boys get sick 5 times more often than girls. If we consider only the clinical signs - yellowing of the eyelids and eyeballs, then we can say that Gilbert's disease is rare. However, if you pay attention to the blood formula regarding the emerging bilirubinemia, the frequency of manifestations increases.

Yellowness of the sclera does not always appear, but only when feeding is delayed, due to which hemolysis increases. That is, in the absence of fasting, symptoms of the disease do not occur.

It is impossible to cure Gilbert's disease, but there are ways to eliminate the symptoms. This is a gentle diet, the use of choleretic drugs and soy emulsion.

Whites of eyes with yellowness - possible causes

Smoking itself does not affect the color of the sclera, but you need to take into account that constantly feeding the body with nicotine increases the load on the liver.

In addition to nicotine, when smoking, other combustion products, tars and toxins enter the body. The liver cleanses the body, and overload negatively affects its function.

This is why smokers with "long experience" yellowish whites of the eyes and skin. In medicine it's called “signs of subacute toxic hepatitis”.

If the unhealthy appearance and yellowness of the eyeballs are caused by eye fatigue, it is necessary to balance the work and rest regime, walk more, increase the amount of healthy food in the diet - vegetables, fruits, seafood and nuts - which includes vitamins for the eyes: A, C, E , nicotinic and folic acid, saturated fatty acids.

Sometimes the eyeballs turn yellow if there is a lot of carotene in the body. This happens, for example, if "abuse" carrots. In this case, the treatment is a variety of diet.

In all other situations - if the color of the sclera changes - you need to consult a doctor. This condition is a signal: not everything is in order in the body.