Refers to the yellowing of skin, sclera (white of eyes), mucous membranes, and of body fluids such as urine and blood plasma.

Jaundice is caused by excess bilirubin in the blood stream. The skin, sclera (whites of the eyes), mucous membranes, urine, and blood plasma have a yellowish cast when a person has jaundice. Jaundice is not a disease, but a symptom of an underlying disease or condition.

Most bilirubin, which is a reddish pigment, is a byproduct of red blood cells. When a red blood cell dies after a lifespan of about 120 days, its components are either recycled for other uses or discarded by the body as waste. During this process, the liver combines bilirubin with another chemical to make it water soluble and discards it into the bile. The bile is then transported by the intestine out of the body.

There are several ways in which...