jaundi-, jaun-

To infect with jaundice.

A condition characterized by yellowness of the skin, in the whites of the eyes, mucous membranes, and body fluids resulting from excess bilirubin in the blood (hyperbilirubinemia).

It may be caused by obstruction of bile passageways, excess destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis), or disturbances in the functioning of liver cells.

Another, more simplified, definition of jaundice states that it is a medical condition in which there is yellowing of the whites of the eyes, skin, and mucous membranes, caused by bile pigments in the blood.

It is a symptom of liver diseases such as hepatitis and cirrhosis, or of a blocked bile duct, and sometimes occurs temporarily in new-born babies whose livers are slightly immature.

Jaundice is not considered a disease in itself, but rather a sign that can occur in many different diseases.

Symptoms: Yellowness, appearing first in the whites of the eyes and later over the whole skin, is the most obvious symptom.

Indigestion, nausea, poor appetite, and general malaise are other characteristics of jaundice.

Additional symptoms include itchy skin, and the feces will be pale because of the absence of bile.

1. Affected by jaundice which causes yellowing of the skin, etc.
2. Affected by, or exhibiting, envy, prejudice, or hostility.

A skin discoloration caused by blood changes and not a result of liver disease, as in carotenemia (presence of excess carotene, or orange-yellow to red crystalline pigment in the blood, often resulting in yellowing of the skin).

A jaundice, or virus, known as a flavivirus, it is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes. People get yellow fever from the bite of an infected female mosquito which injects the yellow fever virus into the skin.

Illness ranges in severity from a self-limited febrile illness to severe hepatitis and hemorrhagic fever.

Yellow fever disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings, laboratory testing, and the possibility of exposure to infected mosquitoes. There is no specific treatment for yellow fever; care is based on which symptoms caused it.

Steps to prevent yellow fever include use of insect repellent, protective clothing, and vaccination. Yellow fever occurs primarily in tropical regions of Africa and in parts of South America; however, it is a very rare cause of illness in U.S. travelers. The last epidemic of yellow fever in North America occurred in New Orleans in 1905.