What are The Causes of Yellow Eyes?

What are Yellow Eyes?

The causes of yellow eyes are similar to the causes of jaundice. Yellowing of the eye is also known as icterus. It occurs when the sclera(white part of the eyeball)becomes yellow. The cause of the yellow eyes is a result of increased bilirubin levels in the body system. Bilirubin is a yellow-orange bile pigment formed from the breakdown of hemoglobin (oxygen carrier)in the body.

Normally, bilirubin is transported from the liver through the bile duct to the gastrointestinal tract(small intestine) where it is excreted as feces. Failure of this to occur results in the accumulation of bilirubin in the body. This can be an indication of an underlying ailment.

What are The Causes of Yellow Eyes in Adults?

There are many reasons why you are likely to come down with yellow eye (jaundice )and they are as follows

Alcoholism

Excessive intake of alcohol can have a detrimental effect on the liver. This tends to enlarge the liver thereby damaging the liver cells. Alcoholism reduces the function of the liver as well as the production of bile. The inability of the liver to utilize the bilirubin in the body contributes to the causes of yellow eyes.

Sickle Cell Anemia

Sickle cell anemia is a major cause of yellow eyes. The shape of the red blood cell becomes distorted and there would be an increased viscosity of the blood. This type of red blood cell has a short life span as it tends to break down easily. They increase the workload of the liver and multiply the bilirubin level in the body.

Steatohepatitis

Another name for steatohepatitis is fatty liver disease. This results from the accumulation of fat in the liver. This condition does not necessarily mean that you are taking alcohol, it can also affect those that take little or no alcohol.

This fat in the liver triggers an inflammation of the liver that results in cirrhosis. Reduced function of the liver is the cause of yellow eyes and the build-up of bilirubin.

Subconjunctival Hemorrhage

It is light bleeding from the eye usually with no pain but it can be itchy when you blink your eye. This red blood normally turns yellow with time.

It can occur due to heavy lifting, constipation, different types of eye infection, heavy lifting, hard coughing, difficulty in sneezing, vomiting, heavy lifting, hard rubbing of the eye, constipation, etc
Within a few days, the subconjunctival hemorrhage is likely resolved on its own.

Genetic Disorder

Genetic disorders that are likely the causes of yellow eyes are Wilson disease, hemochromatosis, and porphyrias. They are diseases that occur from faulty genes. Wilson disease is caused by the accumulation of excess copper in the liver.

Naturally, copper is supposed to be excreted by the bile but this process becomes impossible in the case of Wilson’s disease, excessive copper will increase the bilirubin in the body.

Porphyrias can be caused by autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive genes. It also happens due to excessive porphyrins in the body. Other signs of porphyrias are vomiting, constipation, fever, chest pain, abdominal pain, confusion, tachycardia or increased heart rate, and high blood pressure. Hereditary hemochromatosis is a recessive genetic disorder that results in the build-up of iron in the body.

The Disease of the Gallbladder

There are lots of diseases of the gallbladder that cause yellow eyes(jaundice) but the major one is gallbladder cancer. Obstruction of the bile duct increases the bilirubin level but mostly in minor cases.

Prolong Use of Medication

Excessive intake of medication contributes to the causes of yellow eyes. Examples of such medications are Antibiotics( penicillin), Antipsychotics (chlorpromazine), steroids, birth control pills, and analgesics(acetaminophen). The side effect of the prolonged use of this medication can increase the bilirubin in the blood.

Liver Cirrhosis

Different factors contribute to the scaring of the hepatic cells which are hepatitis, excessive alcohol consumption, fatty liver disease, liver cancer, and obesity. Scaring of the liver tissue comes up gradually and can span through years. As the hepatocyte becomes distorted, it reduces the quantity of the healthy ones.

Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is simply the inflammation of the pancreas. The pancreas helps secrete digestive enzymes such as insulin and glucagon. Symptoms of pancreatitis are fever and abdominal pain. Pancreatitis also requires an immediate intervention which if not attended to promptly can destroy the pancreas. Pancreatitis obstructs the biliary duct which also contributes to the causes of yellow eyes.

Hemolytic Anemia

Hemolytic anemia is caused by a rapid breakdown of red blood cells which results in anemia. This causes yellow eyes to increase the bilirubin level in the body and in turn, changes the white sclera into a yellow eye.

Malaria

Malaria is one of the causes of yellow eyes that results when an individual is bitten by a mosquito. Mosquito deposit the malaria parasite in the blood and this hastens the breakdown of red blood cells. Excessive breakdown of hemoglobin can cause anemia and increased bilirubin level in the body and jaundice.

Blood Transfusion Reaction

Before blood transfusion, it is important that crossmatching is carried out to ensure that the donor’s blood matches that of the receiver. If incomparable blood is transfused, the body is likely to react to it.

This, in turn, triggers a reaction that breaks down the red-blooded cells thereby increasing the bilirubin level in the body. This cause of yellow eyes is a medical emergency that requires prompt intervention.

How Do You Cure Yellow Eyes?

The cure and treatment of yellow eyes are by dealing with the individual causes. It can be life-threatening in children, it requires early intervention but in some cases in adults, it resolves on its own.

If the causes of yellow eyes are viral or bacterial infection, medications like antiviral and antibiotics are prescribed.

Neonatal jaundice is also resolved by phototherapy and increasing the intake of breast milk to get rid of bilirubin.

Also, lifestyle modification will greatly enhance the treatment of the causes of yellow eyes and this can be achieved by the following:

• Resisting the intake of trans and saturated fat
• Alcohol intake should be greatly reduced
• Frequent fluid intake to keep you hydrated
• Avoid taking candies and other sugary food.
• Regular exercise should be perform
• Stop smoking and intake of tobacco-related products.

There are also natural remedies to treat yellow eyes but not enough evidence to back them up. Examples are the intake of fruits like grapefruits, berries, and tomatoes which help to heal some liver problems.

Read Also: Natural Home Remedies For Typhoid

Conclusion

Any changes that cause yellowing of the eyeball are a pointer to an underlying condition in the body. The causes of yellow eyes can result from the various causes described above which are alcoholism, sickle cell anemia, Steatohepatitis, hyperbilirubinemia, subconjunctival hemorrhage, genetic disorder, leptospirosis, disease of the gallbladder, liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis, hemolytic anemia, malaria, and blood transfusion reaction.

You should visit the hospital as soon as you notice the yellowing of your eyes as this prevents damage to the organs involved.