What causes yellow eyes
People write songs about green eyes, hazel eyes, ocean eyes, and brown-eyed girls. But you don’t hear many songs about yellow eyes. This is probably because yellow eyes are a sign of jaundice, which happens when your body has too much of a yellow chemical substance called bilirubin.
Bilirubin is the main antagonist in the story of yellow eyes. And a bilirubin buildup can happen for a whole host of reasons. We’ll tell you about common causes of yellow eyes, less-common causes of yellow eyes, and causes of yellow spots on your eyes.
Common causes of yellow eyes
Y’all ready for this? Eyes can turn yellow if organs like your liver, gallbladder, or pancreas aren't working properly.
Liver-related issues that lead to excess bilirubin include hepatitis, overdrinking, liver infection, cirrhosis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and liver cancer. Gallbladder-related issues include gallstones and gallbladder cancer. And the most-common pancreas-related issue is pancreatic cancer.
Other common causes of yellow eyes (some of which may be loosely connected to one or more of the organs above) are certain medicines, malaria, sickle cell anemia, and adverse reactions to blood transfusions. Yellow eyes aren’t always a big problem, but some underlying issues—like cancer and cirrhosis—are severe and should be treated as such with the help of your doctor.
Learn how to order contact lenses online at 1-800 Contacts
Less-common causes of yellow eyes
- Rare bile duct diseases
- Ulcerative colitis
- Sarcoidosis (this can also cause small yellow bumps on your eye)
- Amyloidosis
- Pancreatitis
- Gilbert syndrome
- Checking to see why mustard isn’t coming out of the bottle and getting an accidental squirt to the eye (happened to my Uncle Brad once)
Causes of yellow spots on your eyes
The eye doctors at the Texas-based eye clinic called Broberg Eye Care say on their website that yellowish patches or bumps on your eyes could be pingueculas. They sound a little scary, but they’re prevalent, especially for older folks. A pinguecula can be diagnosed and treated by your eye care provider.
For significant and/or persistent eye yellowing, or if you have yellow eyes and stomach pain, fatigue, or a fever, reach out to a doctor.
While you’re here, do you want to learn about what causes red, bloodshot eyes? This blog post on red eyes is almost as interesting as what you just read. Almost.
See how to get free shipping on affordable lenses, as well as the time it takes to get them and how to save time and money on the entire process. How much are contact lenses? Compare the prices of daily, weekly, biweekly, and monthly contact lenses and find the best option for you. See where to order contacts online, according to price and shipping times. Compare top online retailers to find the best deal for you. Everything you need to know about contact lenses
Free shipping for contact lenses
How much do contacts cost?
Where to order contacts online