What helps with jaundice depends entirely on what’s causing it. In newborns, the most common and effective treatment is phototherapy, which uses specific wavelengths of light to break down excess bilirubin in the skin. In adults, jaundice is always a symptom of something else, whether that’s a blocked bile duct, a liver infection, medication side effects, or an autoimmune condition, and treatment targets that underlying cause. Here’s what works for each situation.
How Jaundice Works in Your Body
Jaundice happens when bilirubin, a yellow pigment produced when your body breaks down old red blood cells, builds up in your blood faster than your liver can process it. Normally, your liver converts bilirubin into a water-soluble form that gets excreted through bile into your intestines and eventually leaves your body in stool. When something disrupts this process, bilirubin accumulates and stains your skin and the whites of your eyes yellow.
The disruption can happen at three different points. Your body might be destroying red blood cells too quickly for your liver to keep up, which doctors call hemolytic disease. Your liver itself might be damaged or inflamed, as in hepatitis. Or the bile ducts that carry processed bilirubin out of your liver might be physically blocked by a gallstone or tumor. A blood test can distinguish between these scenarios by measuring two forms of bilirubin: the “unconjugated” form that hasn’t yet reached the liver and the “conjugated” form that has already been processed. High unconjugated bilirubin points toward rapid red blood cell breakdown, while high conjugated bilirubin suggests a liver or bile duct problem.
Phototherapy for Newborn Jaundice
Most newborn jaundice is harmless and temporary. A baby’s liver is simply immature and needs a few days to ramp up its ability to process bilirubin. But when levels climb too high, the standard treatment is phototherapy: placing the baby under blue-spectrum lights that emit wavelengths between 460 and 490 nanometers. These lights convert bilirubin in the skin into a form the baby can excrete through urine and stool without needing the liver to process it first.
Standard phototherapy delivers light at an intensity of 8 to 10 microwatts per square centimeter per nanometer. If bilirubin levels are dangerously high, intensive phototherapy ramps that up to over 30 microwatts, often using lights positioned both above and below the baby. Treatment typically lasts one to two days, with blood tests every few hours to track bilirubin levels. In rare cases where bilirubin keeps rising despite intensive phototherapy, an exchange transfusion (replacing the baby’s blood in small amounts) becomes necessary to prevent brain damage.
The single most helpful thing parents can do alongside phototherapy is feed frequently. More feedings, whether breast milk or formula, increase the baby’s caloric intake and hydration, which helps bilirubin leave the body through stool. The CDC notes that frequent breastfeeding also helps establish a stronger milk supply, creating a positive cycle: more milk means more feeding, more stool, and faster bilirubin clearance.
Clearing a Blocked Bile Duct
When jaundice is caused by a physical obstruction, such as a gallstone lodged in the bile duct or a tumor pressing against it, the fix is removing or bypassing the blockage. The most common approach is a procedure where a flexible scope is threaded through the mouth, down through the stomach, and into the opening of the bile duct. From there, a doctor can extract gallstones, widen a narrowed duct, or place a stent (a small tube, either plastic or metal) to hold the duct open and let bile flow again.
Stents work well but aren’t permanent solutions. They can become clogged with debris, shift out of position, or, in the case of tumors, become blocked again as the growth progresses. If a gallstone caused the blockage, removing the gallbladder surgically usually prevents the problem from recurring. If a tumor is responsible, the stent may be a bridge to surgery or a long-term palliative measure to keep the duct open.
Treating Liver Infections
Viral hepatitis, particularly hepatitis B and C, is one of the most common liver conditions behind adult jaundice. For chronic hepatitis B, treatment involves long-term antiviral medications taken by mouth that slow the virus and limit ongoing liver damage. These are typically taken indefinitely, though injectable treatments that stimulate the immune system offer a shorter course for some patients.
Hepatitis C is now curable in most cases with a course of direct-acting antiviral pills lasting 8 to 12 weeks. As the infection clears and liver inflammation subsides, bilirubin levels drop and jaundice resolves. The speed of recovery depends on how much liver damage accumulated before treatment started.
Autoimmune Liver Disease
In autoimmune hepatitis, the immune system attacks liver cells, causing inflammation and jaundice. The standard first-line treatment combines a corticosteroid (to rapidly suppress the immune attack) with an immunosuppressant to maintain control long-term. Most people start to feel better within weeks as inflammation drops and the liver begins to heal.
For patients who can’t tolerate the immunosuppressant, alternative medications with milder side-effect profiles are available. Some people with autoimmune hepatitis need treatment for years or even lifelong to keep the disease in remission. The goal is to bring liver inflammation markers back to normal and keep them there, which in turn resolves the jaundice.
Medications That Can Cause Jaundice
Drug-induced liver injury is an underappreciated cause of jaundice. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is the most well-known offender, particularly at high doses or when combined with alcohol. But many other medications can stress the liver, including certain antibiotics, antifungals, cholesterol-lowering drugs, and even herbal supplements. The jaundice typically resolves once the offending medication is stopped, though recovery can take weeks depending on the severity of the injury.
If you develop yellowing skin or eyes while taking any medication, that warrants prompt medical evaluation. In most cases, stopping the drug early leads to a full recovery. Continuing it can push the liver toward serious damage.
Diet and Hydration During Recovery
No specific food cures jaundice, but what you eat matters for liver recovery. The American Liver Foundation recommends a Mediterranean-style eating pattern: heavy on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, and healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, and fatty fish such as salmon and sardines. These foods provide antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids that support liver repair while minimizing the burden on an already-stressed organ.
A practical target is making half your plate non-starchy vegetables. Avoid alcohol completely while your liver is recovering, and limit processed foods, added sugars, and saturated fats, all of which force the liver to work harder. Staying well-hydrated helps your body excrete bilirubin more efficiently. Water-rich foods like watermelon, cucumbers, berries, and peaches contribute meaningfully to hydration beyond what you drink.
Signs Jaundice Is an Emergency
Most jaundice develops gradually and reflects a treatable condition. But certain combinations of symptoms signal acute liver failure, which is a medical emergency. Yellowing of the skin or eyes paired with confusion, disorientation, personality changes, or unusual sleepiness suggests bilirubin or toxins are affecting the brain. A swollen, painful upper abdomen, persistent vomiting, unexplained bleeding or bruising, or breath with a musty or sweet odor are also red flags. Acute liver failure can cause dangerous swelling in the brain and impair the blood’s ability to clot, leading to uncontrolled bleeding. These symptoms require immediate emergency care.