 |
print the page |  |
email the page |  |
|
- What is jaundice?
- Symptoms of jaundice
- Causes of jaundice
- Prevention of jaundice
- Risk factors for jaundice
- Complications of jaundice
- When to see a doctor about jaundice
- Diagnosis of jaundice
- Conventional treatment of jaundice
- Alternative/complementary treatment of jaundice
- Living with jaundice
- Caring for someone with jaundice
Conventional treatment of jaundice
Treatment of jaundice depends on the underlying disorder that is causing it to occur.
Haemolytic anaemia
The treating of haemolytic anaemia depends on the severity of the condition and usually consists of any one or more of the following:
- Blood Transfusion - a full blood transfusion is given to people with haemolytic anaemia that is either severe or life threatening
- Lifestyle changes - a number of lifestyle changes will be recommended depending on the underlying cause of the haemolytic anaemia:
- Cold-reactive antibodies - keep warm at all times, especially the fingers, toes and ears to avoid triggering anaemia symptoms
- Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency - special diet that avoids certain foods, certain substances and certain medications which trigger anaemia symptoms
- Medications - certain medications can help to improve symptoms of haemolytic anaemia, such as:
- Corticosteroids - these are prescribed for people with autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA)
- Hydroxyurea - this medication is prescribed for people with sickle cell anaemia to help the red blood cells form properly and contain normal haemoglobin inside
- Plasmapheresis - this procedure involves taking blood from the veins, separating the plasma (which contains the antibodies) from the rest of the blood, returning plasma (and healthy) antibodies from a donor and the rest of the blood back into the vein and into the body. This treatment may be recommended if other treatments have failed
- Surgery - in some cases, surgery to remove an enlarged or diseased spleen is recommended to prevent it from destroying red blood cells and causing the anaemia
- Blood and marrow stem cell transplant - a new and emerging treatment is to replace the unhealthy bone marrow and blood with your own stem cells. In cases where the bone marrow makes few healthy red blood cells, this treatment may work to enable more healthy red blood cells to be formed. In this procedure, healthy blood and bone marrow stem cells are used from a donor are inserted into a vein (like a blood transfusion) to go into the blood stream and they travel to the bone marrow to start making healthy new red blood cells
Liver disorders
Treatment of liver disorders depends most on the type of disorder (hepatitis A, B and C, liver cirrhosis, autoimmune hepatitis):
- Avoid alcohol and/or drugs - most people who drink heavily or take a lot of drugs eventually develop liver cirrhosis, so the recommended strategy to help the liver is to stop drinking and/or taking drugs
- Medications - there are
a number of medications used for people with liver disorders:
- Corticosteroids - these immune suppressing medications are used for people with autoimmune hepatitis, to slow down the immune system and prevent it from further worsening the function of the liver
- Interferon alfa-2b - this medication is only prescribed for people with active hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication (and should not be given with lamivudine)
- Lamivudine - this medication is only prescribed for people with active hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication (and should not be given with interferon alfa-2b)
- Pegylated interferon - this medication is given to people with active hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication
- Ribavirin - this medication is given to people with active hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication
- Protected sex - people with hepatitis A, B or C need to ensure they have protected sex as they are infected with a virus and unprotected sex is one way to transfer it to other people
- Surgery - part of a diseased liver can be removed without modifying the function of the liver adversely
- Transplant - in severe cases, where the liver is diseased or not functioning properly any more, a liver transplant can be performed and the liver is replaced with a new one from a donor
Malaria
The main way that malaria is treated is through medication:
- Antibiotics - the antibiotic doxycycline will be prescribed to kill the bacteria causing malaria and prevent further worsening of any symptoms and possible complications
- Anti-malaria medications - these medications are neded to treat the hepatitis (liver disorder) symptoms that often develop with malaria. The most common medications used are: hydroxychloroquine or quinolones
Advertisement
Neonatal jaundice
Conventional treatment recommends the following:
- Intravenous immunoglobulin - in some cases of very severe jaundice in babies, this may be an alternative to a complete blood transfusion. Immunoglobulins are antibodies which may be helpful in babies with rhesus haemolytic jaundice, to reduce bilirubin levels back to normal without having to provide a full blood transfusion
- Keep the baby well hydrated - for babies with elevated bilirubin levels within normally high levels, it is commplace practice to ensure the baby is well hydrated with regular feedings, either with breast milk or formula if not breast feeding. This enables the baby to have more frequent bowel movements. The body gets rid of excessive bilirubin through the stools, so this is a very effective way to quickly reduce jaundice
- Phototherapy - a special light is used on babies that have high bilirubin levels which are not easily reduced simply by increasing feedings. The baby is placed under the artificial blue light in a special enclosure where they are kept warm, as they need to be unclothed for this treatment to work. The light works by breaking down the bilirubin in the skin and allowing it to be excreted more easily by the baby's body
- Transfusion - a full blood transfusion may be necessary in babies with severe jaundice to refresh their blood with new, normal blood that has normal levels of bilirubin
Q fever
Q fever is normally treated with the following medications:
- Antbiotics - the antibiotic doxycycline will be prescribed to kill the bacteria causing Q fever and prevent further worsening of any symptoms and possible complications
- Anti-malaria medications - these medications are neded to treat the hepatitis (liver disorder) symptoms that often develop with Q fever. The most common medications used are: hydroxychloroquine or quinolones. Chronic Q fever is much harder to treat than acute Q fever and medications may need to be taken for up to 5 years
Rare, genetic disorders
The rare genetic disorders are difficult to treat, but there are some treatments available:
- Bone marrow transplant - replacing the unhealthy bone marrow with healthy (donor) bone marrow is one treatment used for Niemann-Pick disease as well as Niemann-Pick disease
- Medications - certain medications are used to help treat symptoms of these disorders
- Anti-convulsants - these medications are used to treat seizures common in people with Niemann-Pick disease
- Phenobarbital - this medication is used to reduce high bilirubin levels in people with Dubin-Johnson syndrome and Gilbert syndrome
- Sodium oxybate (GHB) - this is used to treat cataplexy symptoms in Niemann-Pick disease
Advertisement
Sections: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
< 8: diagnosis 10: alternative treatment > Last reviewed: 29 January 2009 || Last updated: 21 December 2009
Related Articles
NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
