What Are Yellow Eyes?
The white portion of the eye is known as the
sclera. Healthy eye tissue should appear white. Certain conditions can cause
the eyes and even the skin to appear yellow. Yellowing of the eyes is typically
a result of dysfunction of the liver, gallbladder, or pancreas. In some
instances yellow eyes can involve multiple organs.
Yellowing eyes are a symptom of a condition
called jaundice. Jaundice occurs when the oxygen-carrying components (hemoglobin) in the
blood are broken down into bilirubin and the bilirubin is not cleared normally.
Bilirubin is supposed to move to the liver and then to the bile ducts and then
released in the stool. If any portion of this process doesnât take place, the
extra bilirubin builds up in the skin and causes it to appear yellow, including
the eyes. This can indicate an underlying medical problem.
What Conditions That Affect the Liver Cause
Yellow Eyes?
The liver performs numerous
important functions for the body, including breaking down red blood cells.
Conditions that affect the liverâs functioning can lead to yellow eyes. Liver
scarring (cirrhosis) commonly causes this to occur. Conditions that can cause
cirrhosis include:
alcohol abuse hepatitis, a viral infection of types A, B, C,
D, and Eliver cancerliver infectionnon-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a condition
that commonly occurs in obese people
Doctors link some genetic
conditions with causing cirrhosis. These conditions include hemochromatosis,
which causes excess iron to collect in the liver and affect its function.
Wilsonâs disease causes excess copper buildup in the liver. Porphyria is
another cause. This combination of genetic disorders causes the body to build
up excess porphyrin. These compounds are needed to form hemoglobin.
In addition to yellow eyes,
conditions that may affect the liver cause symptoms such as:
appetite lossnauseasudden weight lossunexplained fatigue
What Conditions That Affect the Gallbladder
Cause Yellow Eyes?
The
liver produces bile that is collected in the gallbladder. The gallbladder is
responsible for releasing bile to help the body digest fats. The gallbladder
connects back to the liver via the bile ducts. People can experience jaundice
if the bile ducts become blocked. This could be due to gallstones. Gallstones
are the most common cause of bile duct obstruction. Other causes include cysts,
tumors, or gallbladder inflammation.
In
addition to yellow eyes, gallbladder obstruction causes symptoms such as:
bloody-appearing stool chillsfeverstomach painunexplained weight loss
What Conditions That Affect the Pancreas
Cause Yellow Eyes?
The pancreatic duct and the bile
duct join to drain into the small intestine. If the pancreatic duct becomes
diseased or obstructed, bile may not drain properly and jaundice can occur. Pancreatic
cancer can cause this condition.
Excess bilirubin may also result
in dark urine, light-colored stools and skin itching.
According to the American
Cancer Society, pancreas-related jaundice symptoms are less common than
gallstones, hepatitis, and liver disease.
What Blood Disorders Cause Yellow Eyes?
Eye yellowing may be the result of the abnormal breakdown of
red blood cells and/or the impaired excretion of bilirubin. For this reason, conditions
that affect red blood cell production or lifespan can cause eye yellowing. This
includes:
drug-induced immune hemolytic anemiaincompatibility reaction from a blood
transfusion, which is considered a medical emergency sickle cell anemia
What Misconceptions Exist About the Causes of
Yellow Eyes?
Consuming excess foods high in vitamin A (beta carotene)
cause skin yellowing. These foods include carrots, squash and melons. These
foods can affect the skin, but they should not cause yellow eyes.
Source: http://www.healthline.com
