Jaundice is a yellow color of the skin, mucus membranes, or eyes. The yellow coloring comes from bilirubin, a byproduct of old red blood cells. Jaundice can be a symptom of other health problems.

Causes
A small number of red blood cells in your body die each day, and are replaced by new ones. The liver removes the old blood cells. This creates bilirubin. The liver helps break down bilirubin so that it can be removed by the body through the stool. Jaundice can occur when too much bilirubin builds up in the body.

Jaundice can occur if:
-- Too many red blood cells are dying or breaking down and going to the liver
-- The liver is overloaded or damaged
-- The bilirubin from the liver is unable to properly move into the digestive tract

Jaundice is often a sign of a problem with the liver, gallbladder, or pancreas. Things that can cause jaundice include:
-- Infections
-- Use of certain drugs
-- Cancer
-- Blood disorders, Gallstone, birth defects and a number of other medical conditions can lead to jaundice. For more information on the causes of jaundice see: Jaundice causes

Symptoms
Jaundice may appear suddenly or develop slowly over time. Symptoms of jaundice commonly include:
-- Yellow skin and the white part of the eyes (sclera) -- when jaundice is more severe, these areas may look brown
-- Yellow color inside the mouth
-- Dark or brown-colored urine
-- Pale or clay-colored stools