3. Yellowing of the Eyes and Skin
When diseases affect the liver, gallbladder, or the biliary tract, the flow of bile slows down or comes to a halt. This slowing down or stopping of the normal flow of bile from the liver to the intestines causes the bilirubin found in it to flow back into and accumulate in the blood stream, a condition that turns a patient’s skin yellow. This discoloration of the skin is called jaundice, and happens when the excess bilirubin in the blood leaks into the interstitial spaces between the tissues, tainting them a sickly shade of yellow.
