Jaundice
Jaundice is when your skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow. It can be a sign of something serious, such as liver disease, so you need to get urgent medical help.
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:
- your skin or the white part of your eyes look yellow
You may also have itchy skin, darker pee and paler poo than usual.
You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.
Symptoms of jaundice
Causes of jaundice
You may get jaundice if a substance called bilirubin builds up in your body.
There are lots of possible reasons for this and some of them are serious.
They include:
Treatments for jaundice depend on what's causing it.
Jaundice in babies
Jaundice is common in newborn babies and is usually harmless.
Last Reviewed
21 July 2026
21 July 2026
