Is there any harm in having long-term jaundice?

Long-term high jaundice may cause multi-organ damage to the body, and the cause should be found as soon as possible for intervention and treatment. Possible harms include liver function damage caused by liver disease, accumulation of toxins in the body caused by bile metabolism disorders, and persistent jaundice may be a signal of other potential major diseases, such as bile duct disease or blood system abnormalities.

1 Possible Cause

Jaundice is essentially a manifestation of elevated bilirubin levels in the body, which often comes from the following:

Genetic factors: such as Gilbert syndrome, which is a benign genetic metabolic disease that causes mild intermittent jaundice. It usually has little impact, but some patients may develop complications due to ignoring the symptoms.

Environmental factors: Abuse of drugs such as antibiotics and antipyretics may cause drug-induced liver damage and increase jaundice levels. Long-term drinking is one of the important factors that endanger liver health.

Physiological factors: Insufficient liver function and bilirubin metabolism disorders such as idiopathic indirect hyperbilirubinemia can lead to difficulty in bilirubin excretion.

Traumatic/surgical causes: such as jaundice secondary to bile duct stenosis or gallstone surgery.

Pathological causes: Viral hepatitis, fatty liver, cirrhosis, bile duct tumors, hemolytic anemia and other diseases may cause persistent increase in jaundice, which requires careful examination and diagnosis.

2 Potential hazards

① Liver function damage: Long-term jaundice may reflect liver damage. The inability to metabolize bilirubin levels normally will increase the burden on the liver. Further development may lead to cirrhosis or even liver cancer.

② Damage to the biliary system: Obstruction of bile excretion causes bile stasis, which can stimulate the bile duct wall, cause cholangitis or bile duct dilatation, and further damage the function of the biliary system.

③ Damage to the nervous system: When the bilirubin concentration increases significantly, it may also cause bilirubin encephalopathy, affecting the function of the central nervous system, manifested as impaired consciousness, decreased attention, etc.

④ Abnormalities of the blood system: Jaundice may be a complication of hemolytic anemia. If not treated in time, it may cause severe anemia symptoms.

3. How to deal with it

Take appropriate intervention measures according to different causes:

Drug treatment: If viral hepatitis is confirmed, antiviral drugs such as entecavir and tenofovir should be used; if there is liver damage, liver protecting drugs such as compound glycyrrhizin and reduced glutathione can be used to control the disease.

Surgical treatment: If it is caused by bile duct diseases such as bile duct tumors and cholelithiasis, bile duct decompression, bile duct stent placement or cholecystectomy can be considered.

Dietary adjustments and improvements in lifestyle habits: Reduce the burden on the liver, adopt a low-fat and low-salt diet, avoid high-sugar and high-cholesterol foods, and reduce the intake of alcohol and unnecessary drugs.

Regular check-ups: People with a family history of inherited metabolic diseases or chronic liver disease need to undergo regular physical examinations and dynamically monitor liver function and bilirubin levels.

Long-term jaundice is a health warning sign that requires high attention. Delayed treatment may lead to serious consequences. Identifying the cause as early as possible and adopting a comprehensive and personalized treatment strategy can reduce the risk of complications and protect the stable operation of body functions.