Q) Can we smoke during jaundice. What are the precautions and dietary restrictions in case of jaundice.

A) Hello,

In general jaundice is a symptom which reflect underlying disease, but not a disease in itself.

Let me briefly describe jaundice. It causes your skin and the whites of your eyes to turn yellow. Too much bilirubin causes jaundice. Bilirubin is a yellow chemical in hemoglobin, the substance that carries oxygen in your red blood cells. As red blood cells break down, your body builds new cells to replace them. The old ones are processed by the liver. If the liver cannot handle the blood cells as they break down, bilirubin builds up in the body and your skin may look yellow.

Jaundice can happen at any age and may be a sign of a problem.

Jaundice can happen for many reasons, such as:

Treatment and precaution:

The treatment of jaundice aim at treating underlying disease, if possible and symptom specific treatment.

It is advisable to avoid alcohol and smoking. If you have long term habit and not able to avoid than discuss it with your health care practitioner.

Drink enough water and take proper rest.

Take medications only as instructed and prescribed by a health care practitioner. And strongly avoid self medication; avoid taking, herbs, or supplements which may cause detrimental side effects. Consult your physician before taking these.

Your physician may advise certain dietary restrictions and recommendation that you should follow. In general a diet rich in carbohydrate and recommended amount of protein is advised.