Dr. Jayant Barve
Best Doctor for Jaundice in Mumbai

WHAT IS JAUNDICE ?

Jaunndice is yellow discolouration of eyes and skin and dark brown urine due to a buildup of bilirubin in the body. Jaundice occurs when your liver is unable to process bilirubin in your blood.

WHAT ARE CAUSES OF JAUNDICE ?

Causes of jaundice are too many to mention. Basically, jaundice is caused due to

1. Viral Liver Infections

Acute hepatitis and jaundice can occur due to viruses like A, B, C, D, E. It also can be due to Leptospirosis, dengue, malaria or sepsis with liver involvement.

Hepatitis B and C are two common infections leading to chronic liver diseases due to viruses, involving 40 to 50 million of Indian population.

They are transmitted percutaneous or through sexual route and may become chronic and may result in cirrhosis of liver with its complications and premature death.

Early diagnosis can be easily made by routine blood investigations. Highly effective and economical treatment is available for both.

2. Congenital Problems

Gilbert syndrome, Dubin Johnson Syndrome: These are two congenital disorders of liver due to deficiency of certain chemicals in the liver and are commonly diagnosed in pre-operative or pre-employment checkup.

They have no complications or health risk but can be an obstacle for job fitness.

Wilson Disease is a rare genetic disorder due to accumulation of copper in liver, brain and other tissues. It can result in accute or chronic liver disease.

If not diagnosed in time, it can result in death.

3. Cancer of Liver

Liver cancer is a malignant tumour that begins in the liver.
Cirrhosis of liver, chronic Hepatitis B / C and NAFLD are the predisposing factors.
Hence a careful follow up of these conditions by sonography and blood tests is necessary.
It can be treated by surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

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4. Alcohol Induced Liver Damage

Since centuries Alcohol is known to damage liver by acting as a toxin causing jaundice, progressive liver damage resulting in cirrhosis of liver and premature death.

Risk of cirrhosis rises significantly for alcohol intake above 60 gms/day for men and 20 gms/day for female over 10 years. Acute severe alcoholic hepatitis can have mortality of 50% within a month.

5. Cirrhosis of Liver

Cirrhosis of liver is a chronic liver disease which is irreversible where a scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue. Alcohol abuse, hepatitis B / C and now non-alcoholic fatty liver disease ie NAFLD are the common causes of cirrhosis of liver. It’s an irreversible disease with no cure. By the time the diagnosis is made more than 70% of the liver is not functioning. Proper diet, close monitoring to prevent complications like vomiting of blood, hepatic coma and cancer of the liver etc. can prolong life. Liver transplant in selected cases offer cure.

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6. Induced Liver Injury (DILI)

Multiple antibiotics, pain killers, hormonal medication, anti TB drugs, anti cancer medicines etc can influence jaundice. Most important is non-standardised Ayurvedic and herbal medicines are responsible for liver damage and worrisome part is patients fail to give the history of use of these medicines hence diagnosis is often missed.

7. Diseases of Biliary System

Stones in gall bladder , stone blocking bile tube , sepsis in bile tubes (cholangitis), cancers of biliary tree etc. can result in jaundice. Correct diagnosis can be reached by various blood test, scan and endoscopic procedure including ERCP which can help in relieving jaundice in certain cases.

8.Pregnancy

Acute fatty liver of pregnancy, cholestatic jaundice of pregnancy, gall stone disease, various hepatitis can produce jaundice. Hepatitis E in pregnancy can be associated with high mortality. Simple good hygiene can prevent this complication. Correct diagnosis at an early stage is necessary for the safety of mother and child.

9. Diseases of Pancreas

Acute or chronic pancreatitis and cancer of head of pancreas block the bile tubes and result in jaundice. Correct diagnosis can be reached by various blood test, scan and endoscopic procedure including ERCP which can help in relieving jaundice.

10.Autoimmune Diseases

These are uncommon problems where body's immune system is at fault resulting in damage to the liver. Correct diagnosis at an stage can prevent chronic liver dieses and premature death.

HOW IS JAUNDICE DIAGNOSED?

Doctors typically diagnose jaundice through:
Physical examination,
Blood tests to measure bilirubin levels,
Liver function tests and
Imaging studies (like ultrasound or CT scans) to assess the liver and gallbladder.

HOW IS JAUNDICE TREATED?

Jaundice treatment focuses on addressing the underlying cause rather than the jaundice itself. In adults, this might involve treating viral hepatitis with antiviral medications or addressing blocked bile ducts with surgery or endoscopic procedures. In newborns, phototherapy (light therapy) is commonly used to help the body process bilirubin.

WHO IS THE BEST DOCTOR FOR JAUNDICE IN MUMBAI?

Dr. Jayant Barve is highly rated for his expertise in treating gastrointerstinal disorders and jaundice with a patient-centric approach.

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