A change in the color of the skin on the face is immediately evident and serves as one of the markers of a person's state of health for doctors. One of the most serious signs of disorders in the body is a yellow face (especially in combination with yellow whites of the eyes). Of course, it may be that a person eats only oranges, carrots and turmeric or abuses medications, but this happens infrequently . So it's better to check your health, because the yellowness of the skin and eye sclera – this is not only not aesthetically pleasing, but it can also be a symptom of diseases of the liver, pancreas or thyroid gland, and even oncology.
Why can a person's face and eyes suddenly turn yellow? What pathologies can be hidden under a change in complexion? How to diagnose a problem? Read our article.
- Yellow face: physiological and pathological causes
- What do the yellow whites of the eyes say
- Yellow face and eyes: diagnosis and treatment
Yellow face: physiological and pathological causes
Speaking at the level of elementary biology, the skin turns yellow when the body produces bilirubin in excess. Normally, bilirubin, as a product of the breakdown of hemoglobin (an iron-containing protein in the blood), is regularly excreted along with the stool and does not accumulate in the body.
Read also: What is the cause of yellow complexion
If the level of bilirubin in the blood rises, then the body does not have time to remove it. As a consequence – jaundice develops.
There are three types of jaundice:
- Hemolytic
- Hepatic
- Cholestatic
With hemolytic jaundice, the breakdown of hemoglobin is so accelerated that the liver can no longer cope with the processing of bilirubin. In this case, the amount of indirect bilirubin increases.
In the hepatic form of the disease, the liver is affected (often a consequence of alcohol abuse or hepatitis). With hepatic jaundice, direct bilirubin is thrown into the blood.
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Cholestatic jaundice, as its name implies, leads to disruption of the biliary system. Their blocking prevents the removal of bilirubin from the body, it accumulates – and here is the jaundice right there.
Diseases of GBS (hepatobiliary system – pancreas, liver and biliary tract) are generally the most common cause of yellow complexion and whites of the eyes.
Hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, Gilbert's syndrome, cysts and neoplasms, parasites – all these reasons should be excluded by the doctor, referring the patient for tests and examinations.
If liver damage is severe, yellow face will not be the only symptom. There will also be abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, weight loss, chills, dark urine and vice versa – chair lighting. If you or your loved ones show these symptoms, do not hesitate to visit the hospital!
Another obvious reason for yellow skin – abuse of products that contain an increased level of carotene, which "colors" skin. And this is not only carrots, as is commonly believed. Sea buckthorn, pumpkin, apricots, mangoes, rose hips, celery are also distinguished by a high content of beta-carotene. Spices such as turmeric and cumin can also have a similar effect.
Read also: How to determine the state of health in the face: 10 important indicators
If the complexion is not bright yellow, but rather pale yellow, and the skin itself looks dull, then this may be evidence of stress, overexertion, banal lack of sleep, or depression. However, then yellowish skin is combined with an inadequate (depressed or, on the contrary, agitated) emotional state.
By the way, do you know that the root of the problem can also be determined by skin tone?
So, if yellowish skin is combined with pallor, and slightly yellowish whites of the eyes are also present, then we can assume the development of cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder). If the skin is not just yellow, but also like wax, then, alas, it is worth consulting with an oncologist. And if the face is not just bright yellow, but closer to orange, then you should visit an endocrinologist. After all, the matter may be in the occurrence of violations of the thyroid gland – e.g. hypothyroidism.
What do the yellow whites of the eyes say
In principle, all the diseases described in the previous section also provoke yellowing of the eye sclera. However, there is a nuance: the yellow whites of the eyes – this is a serious symptom that should be treated immediately by a doctor.
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While the yellow face can be explained by eating large amounts of carrots or chronic stress, the change in the color of the eye proteins cannot be explained by physiological causes.
Yellow whites of the eyes are always caused by some kind of pathology!
In addition to liver damage of a different nature, parasites, anemia and oncological diseases of the hepatobiliary system, slightly yellowish whites of the eyes can also appear with serious violations of the organs of vision.
Conjunctivitis, melanoma (malignant neoplasm) of the eye, pterygium (growth on the conjunctiva), pinguecula (benign neoplasm on the conjunctiva) – this is not a complete list of possible diseases that will not go away on their own on their own.
Yellow face and eyes: diagnosis and treatment
As you can see, the range of diseases that can cause yellowing of the face and eyes – huge. So independent attempts to make a diagnosis and self-treatment are unacceptable! Otherwise, you can let a serious illness take its course and significantly aggravate the situation.
The only valid – contact a therapist who will either immediately refer you to a specialized specialist based on your history, examination and patient complaints, or prescribe basic tests (blood, urine), after which the picture will clear up.
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Depending on the localization of the true cause of yellow skin and sclera, the patient may be shown a consultation with an endocrinologist, hematologist, gastroenterologist, infectious disease specialist or ophthalmologist (if the yellow whites of the eyes are associated exclusively with visual impairments).
Only a specialized doctor will be able to recreate the complete clinical picture and prescribe the correct treatment in accordance with the patient's diagnosis. However, the patient will also have to reconsider his lifestyle – nutrition, sedentary or vice versa too active and nervous lifestyle. Bad habits, of course, will have to be abandoned.
And we focus the readers' attention once again: self-treatment in this case is unacceptable!
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