Is yellow jaundice a form of hepatitis?

Ah, jaundice- the condition that transforms your complexion to that of Homer Simpson. It’s a yellow-ish hue that would put the most magnificent Easter egg to shame. Now, this brings us to an important question- is yellow jaundice a form of hepatitis?

Before we can answer that, we need to understand what both terms mean.

So, what is Jaundice anyway?

Jaundice occurs when there’s excess bilirubin in your system leading to yellowing of the skin and eyes. Okay…so Biliruwhatnow?!

Bilirubin is produced when red blood cells break down which usually gets processed by your liver but if it doesn’t do its job right then instead stays in your bloodstream resulting in Jaundice.

Alright now let’s move onto good ol’ Hepatitis

Hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver caused by either alcohol consumption or viruses (referred as Viral Hepatitis). For all dictionary alternatives: have at it!

The viruses causing viral hepatitis are grouped into types A through E with different modes of transmission and severity from simply making you feel mildly unwell up until transplant time! Oh boy!!

Now that our memory has been refreshed on these two topics well enough let’s dive deeper into how they are interconnected or not.

Are They Related?

Very Un-Bollywood-esque; No twists here folks! 😉 Although hepatitis does cause jaundice –yellowish discoloration– there isn’t one type specifically called “Yellow” aka Simple Jaundice/Hyperbilirubinemia -eg Trivia Question: What color discsoloration represents Hemolytic Anemia?- sorry got side-tracked.
ANYWAY!–By itself Simple/ Hyperbilurbinemic/generalized/yellow/nonhepatic/not-because-of-hepatitis; Jaundice occurs when an excess of bilirubin isn’t being removed fast enough by our liver.
In other words, they are distinct conditions with overlapping symptoms. Weren’t you pleased as punch to know this? 🥳

Symptoms & Types

While Yellow Jaundice is just one condition that can cause jaundice there are three different types of viral hepatitis + alcohol-induced:

Type Symptoms
A Fever,Nausea,Vomiting,Abdominal Pain,Fatigue,Malaise,Dark Urine,Pale Stools,Yellowing of skin and eyes .
B,C Persistent Fatigue,Nausea , Loss of Appetite, Abdominal pain,brown urine,a low-grade fever,difficulty breathing,Yellowing skin /eyes
D,E Very much like Type-B but not too common so relax!

note: Non-Viral Hepatitis/”Alcoholic”(-Not recommended ingestion though-) still shares quite a few symptoms!

So while there may be some similarities between the two most significant overlap would be -yellow (as in jaundiced) yawn

So What’s The Difference?

The difference between yellow jaundice and hepatitis lies chiefly on their primary causes.

Yellow/Neonatal/Icteric/Simple/Uncomplicated/Physiologic Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia is caused due to rapid red blood cell destruction and buildup. This type usually goes away without any lasting side effects or treatment required within 14 days sans visitations from extraterrestrial life form-like creatures..we think

Hepatitis on the other hand mainly relates to liver infections caused by several viruses (type A,B,C…etc); non-viral causes include drugs/alcohol etc.These really give your liver a bad day..

Now, Wait-A-Minute!

While most jaundice cases aren’t as complicated to deal with besides resting your body and drinking a glass of apple juice; however in some other cases it may be the first warning sign that there’s something way more serious 1.going on like viral hepatitis!

Don’t let this alarm you though! Not all causes of Jaundice relate back to Hepatitis but if one feels persistently tired or has lost appetite accompanied by pale stool/ dark urine AND yellowing then it’s recommended one gets checked out.

Conclusion

In short Yellow Jaundice and Hepatitis two sides to different coins ‘yellow’ just happens to overlap between them.
Jaundice nonetheless can have multiple types caused due to various reasons be it pre-existing conditions/viral/hyperbilirubinemia etc., pointing towards an underlying problem needing attention ASAP.

So next time someone throws around the term “Yellow” remember; “Simple” Hyperbilirubinemic Jaundice is not unheard-of although potential symptoms..Pfffft who needs those!!?

OH! And don’t forget alcohol contributes too….still valid point sober-ya’know!?

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