What does jaundice feel like with sickle cell disease?

Jaundice happens when bilirubin, a yellow substance made as red blood cells break down, builds up in the body. You may notice yellowing in the whites of the eyes, skin, or inside the mouth. Urine can look darker, while stools may look lighter. Sickle cell disease can cause ongoing red-cell breakdown, and jaundice may become more visible during a flare or illness. It can occur with tiredness, weakness, abdominal discomfort, or pain, but the colour alone does not show how serious the cause is.

Check the colour in natural light and note when it began, whether it is changing, and any fever, pain, vomiting, or reduced drinking. Keep taking prescribed sickle cell medicines unless your clinician tells you otherwise. Drink fluids if you can, and contact your sickle cell team or a doctor for assessment, especially if this is new or stronger than usual. A clinician may check blood tests and look for infection, liver or gallbladder problems, or a change in blood-cell breakdown.

Seek urgent medical help for jaundice with severe or new pain, fever, breathing difficulty, confusion, fainting, marked weakness, repeated vomiting, a swollen abdomen, or inability to drink. Yellowing with very dark urine, pale stools, or increasing sleepiness also deserves prompt assessment. Do not wait for the colour to settle if you feel seriously unwell.

Ask what may be causing the change, which symptoms should trigger emergency care, whether you need bilirubin or liver testing, and how to manage fluids and medicines during illness.