Peripheral Signs and Symptoms
Jaundice |
Jaundice is a common symptom of chronic viral hepatitis
and many liver diseases. It causes the skin and
conjunctiva to turn into a yellowish color. Other
symptoms related to jaundice are dark colored urine,
pale stool, and itching skin. In blood tests, we can see
elevation of bilirubin levels and GGT. The cause of the
jaundice is a dysfunction of the bilirubin metabolism in
the liver. The liver cells' functions of absorbing,
conjugating, and secreting the bilirubin are
deteriorated. This type of jaundice in chronic viral
hepatitis is called hepatocytic jaundice. It causes both
total and conjugated bilirubin to increase in the serum.
In
chronic viral hepatitis patients, about 50% have showed
to exhibit bile retention and gall stones. The bile
retention and blockage of bile secretion by the
gallstone or inflammation of the bile ducts can also
cause jaundice. In this case, the bile is not secreting
through its normal rout to the intestine and then
eradicated with stool. Instead, it goes to the blood and
flood on the skin, conjunctiva, causes them to turn
yellowish. The bile acid deposit in the skin can also
cause itching and the bile retention in the liver can
injure the liver cells and promote liver fibrosis. In
the advanced fibrosis stages, such as cirrhosis stage,
progressively deepening jaundice is an indication of
liver function failure. So, correcting the jaundice
condition is very important in treating chronic viral
hepatitis.
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