Diagnosis
Doctors will ask the history of the patient and do a medical exam to check jaundice and confirm bilirubin levels. They will pay close attention to the abdomen, feel for tumors, and examine the condition of the liver.
A firm liver indicates scarring of liver, or cirrhosis. A rock-hard liver will indicate cancer. Many tests can confirm jaundice. The first is a liver function test to check whether or not the liver is working properly.
If a doctor is unable to find a cause, he/she may suggest you blood tests to check bilirubin levels and the composition of the blood. These include:
The doctor will check the structure of the liver if they analyze an obstruction. In these cases, they will use an imaging test, including CT, MRI, and ultrasound scans.
Treatment
Jaundice treatment aims the cause rather than the jaundice symptoms.
Below-mentioned treatments are used:
- Anemia-induced jaundice may be cured by increasing the amount of iron in the blood by either eating more iron-rich foods or taking iron supplements.
- Hepatitis-induced jaundice needs steroid or antiviral medications.
- Doctors can cure obstruction-induced jaundice by surgically detaching the obstruction.
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If jaundice has been caused by a certain medication, treatment involves shifting to an alternative medication.