Business & Finance

When there is yellowish tinge to the skin and the whites of the eyes—that’s when people say someone is jaundiced. The word ‘jaundice’ comes from Latin Galbinus—meaning greenish-yellow. But what exactly is jaundice, and when does it occur? Read on to know about this condition:

What is Jaundice?

When there is a high amount of yellow-orange pigment called ‘bilirubin’ in the body, it binds to the mucous membranes and whites of the eye and gives them a yellow hue. Bilirubin production is a normal physiological phenomenon; however, the disease arises when the body cannot get rid of this bilirubin, due to any cause.

Causes of Jaundice

There are three phases of bilirubin production: pre-production, during production, and post-production. Bilirubin is derived from the breakdown of normal red blood cells, therefore, increased breakdown of red blood cells due to any cause can lead to a rise in pre-production or unconjugated bilirubin and hence, jaundice. You may have seen the term ‘total bilirubin’ in certain investigations of the liver. This term is used for the sum of both conjugated and unconjugated bilirubin. Haemolytic anaemias are a common cause of unconjugated bilirubin rise and pre-production jaundice.

Diseases of the liver itself can hamper the production phase or conjugation process of bilirubin, and lead to increased levels in the blood. These can include viral infections of the liver like hepatitis A, chronic hepatitis B and C, EBV (infectious mononucleosis), alcoholic liver disease, rare metabolic defects, and certain medications that cause liver toxicity.

Post-production or conjugation, bilirubin can rise when there is a blockage or obstruction in the bile ducts, as bilirubin is normally released in the bile and if this is blocked bilirubin levels in the body rise. Gallstones are the most common reason for bile tract obstruction. Other causes can include inflammation of the gallbladder, pancreatic mass, gallbladder cancer. 

Symptoms of jaundice

Jaundice is not an isolated finding and not an illness on its own, rather it’s a symptom of the disease. There is characteristic yellow tinting of skin, eyes and mucous membranes in jaundice. If the blood bilirubin levels are really high, the whites of the eyes can turn brown or orange.

In most acute or short-term cases (usually caused by infection) there is accompanying fever, chills, dark-coloured urine, flu-like symptoms and abdominal pain. In our country, hepatitis is the most common cause of jaundice, and with such underlying causative factors, there is accompanying fatigue and vomiting.

If jaundice is not caused by infection, the symptoms profile is somewhat varied, with weight loss, itchy skin and abdominal pain. For cancers associated with gallbladder and pancreas, weight loss and abdominal pain are the commonest symptoms.  

Some people assume they have jaundice when they experience mild yellowing of skin. However, it should be remembered that jaundice affects not only the skin but also the eyes and the mucous membranes. If only the skin is yellow-tinted, then it could be due to having too much beta carotene in the system, such as with excessive intake of carrots, sweet potatoes and pumpkins. Excess of this antioxidant is not a cause of jaundice. 

Diagnosis of jaundice

Jaundice can be diagnosed through laboratory investigations by checking blood levels of bilirubin. Amongst the blood investigations that your doctor will recommend, there would be a Complete Blood Count (CBC), Liver Function Tests (LFTs), and hepatitis profile. Imaging tests such as ultrasonography, CT scan or MRI can also be advised at the discretion of your healthcare provider. The diagnosis of jaundice is the first step towards its treatment, it is thus necessary to get the diagnostic tests from an authentic laboratory. Dr. Essa laboratory and diagnostic is one such facility that can help you in this regard and provide you with authentic results.

Sometimes biopsy can also be done by the doctor to make a diagnosis.

Treatment of jaundice

As mentioned before, jaundice itself is a symptom of an underlying disorder and not the disease; therefore, the underlying condition needs treatment instead of jaundice itself. The treatment protocol is thus determined by the causative disorder. Moreover, unlike jaundice in children, adult jaundice usually gets better on its own.

Even in children, most jaundice cases resolve within one to two weeks according to the American Liver Foundation. For moderate jaundice cases, babies are treated with phototherapy in the hospital or even at home to help remove the extra bilirubin. The light waves used in phototherapy get absorbed by the baby’s skin and blood, and this in turn helps the bilirubin to turn into waste products that are to be eliminated. During this therapy, children may have frequent bowel movements with green-coloured stools. This is just one way for the bilirubin to exit the body. For severe cases, other therapies like blood transfusions are done.

Acute viral hepatitis usually goes away on its own without treatment. As the condition of the liver improves, its ability to conjugate and clear bilirubin returns and hence jaundice gets better. In some cases, however, hepatitis can become chronic even if jaundice disappears. This is why a thorough hepatitis profile is needed when there is jaundice.

As the condition of the liver improves, the itching also gets better. However, your healthcare provider can prescribe medication like cholestyramine to improve this symptom.

If jaundice is caused by blocked bile ducts, a non-surgical procedure like ERCP—endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography—can be done to relieve the obstruction. In ERCP, instruments are threaded through the endoscope, and guided to the bile duct whereby blockages like impacted stones can be removed safely and non-surgically.

Get thorough bi-annual physicals to keep illnesses at bay and consult a credible radiology lab in Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad if you are suspicious that you have jaundice so that you can get treatment in time.

At A Glance:

Refresh inside homey spaces while in inviting West Yarmouth at the 2.5-star Tidewater Inn. It lies along with a prime site, which puts you near the airport and attractions like the Putter’s Paradise Miniature Golf. While in the hotel, you can soothe in the outdoor swimming pool after enjoying a sumptuous breakfast served at the cozy restaurant. Drift off to sleep in guestrooms offering flat-screen cable televisions, coffeemakers, and phones, allowing complimentary local calls.

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You Should Know:

• Helen’s Diner, a cozy restaurant serving breakfast treats
• Room service available during limited hours only
• Coffee shop serving coffee drinks and pastries
• Complimentary high-speed wireless internet access in public areas and all guestrooms
• Refreshing spa tub and outdoor swimming pool surrounded by comfy sun loungers
• Game room offering fun-filled indoor recreation
• Picnic area complete with barbecue grills
• Beautiful garden with sitting areas
  

In and Around:

• Master your swing at the Putter’s Paradise Miniature Golf
• Laze along the Hyannis Harbor
• Have fun at the Wild Animal Lagoon
• Take a tour at the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum
• Get that perfect tan along the West Dennis Beach
• Sunbathe at the Seagull Beach
• Simmer down along the Hyannis Port Beach

Today's world is a digital world. Digital technology in its various forms has greatly influenced our lives and is also changing the way companies work in all areas of the business. The Internet and various online business platforms have changed the way people work. Although people around the world have tremendous influence, people trust and rely heavily on the companies that provide them with an authentic human element.

The long-standing basis of many companies with customer contact (eg service companies) is based on personal, personal relationships. Today, however, customer engagement is increasingly self-serviced and settled. People need to do things on the go, and companies need to do more with fewer resources.

We live in the era of the consumer. An era in which all customers have the opportunity to express their opinions. The rapid rise of technology and social media has changed the playing field, making our lives seemingly easier and more convenient. Today, marketers use sophisticated technology to combine analytics with customer insights to dictate marketing. Companies are immersed in this overly hyper-focused marketing strategy, hoping to outsmart their competition. However, these marketing campaigns have little understanding that they are killing people in their brand.

The human element of your brand should always be at the forefront of your marketing strategy and business ethics. Without them, the factors that enable your business to interact are no longer visible. As a result, customers soon lose interest and are no longer attracted to the exchange of habits. Although consumer brand confidence is still important, the sad fact is that people do not really trust brands. They see companies as faceless profiteers, a sentiment triggered by corruption stories in big business, the 2008 financial crisis, and the constant bombardment of advertising in recent decades. Any message coming from a corporate brand will be subject to a special audit immediately.

There is a solution to this, and the concept is straightforward (though the execution gets a bit more difficult). Because people trust people more than brands, you just have to make your brand look a little more human - you need to humanize your brand.

Here are some handy strategies that will help you:

Your brand needs a human voice and personality, but it's difficult to assign these attributes to a logo or company name. Instead, try assigning them to an actual personal frame. Think of a fictional character that represents your brand and tune all the details. Who is this person? What's your name? How do you dress? What is your favorite food? What are your likes and dislikes? Are you excited or calm? Formal or casual? These questions will help you imagine a true personality as the Avatar of your brand, and from there it is easy to put yourself in that mentality. This is the best way to literally humanize your brand.

Showing your personality-personality is what makes a brand stand out from the crowd, and you should never be afraid to stand out from the crowd. Customers buy from those who they like and trust. If your brand has no personality, how will these clients treat you? Show your brand personality online and offline in your marketing efforts. Have real conversations with real people to build relationships with these potential customers.

Lead conversations. Do not just post ads to your users. engage them in a conversation. Ask them what they like and what they want to see. If they tell you they like one of your posts, thank them for their readership. If you see your viewers comment on an external thread, jump into the discussion. This shows that you are attentive and take care of more than just one side of the conversation. The more you engage with your users, the more likely they are to view you as a trusted, personal entity. When you engage with individuals, you will instantly consolidate the loyalty of these individuals, and you will look good to everyone else who cares.

For example, to make the customer support more human, the intercom system displays the faces of the customer agents that are actually available, or perhaps respond to the user to have a conversation. You can also have a feedback form on the website to start the conversation and build customer loyalty.

Introducing Employees - Do you know what your customers are looking for on your site? Typically, the most popular page on a site is About Us or Meet the Team. Customers want to know who's behind the brands they love, what their capabilities are and what they look like. Customers just want to be able to relate to you.

Introduce employees

For example, the Cyber ​​Infrastructure website has a Leadership Team page where customers are made aware of the brand's brilliant minds to make them more credible.

Always available - Make sure your customers can reach you easily. Make sure your phone number, email address and social networking platforms are easy to find. Every customer has their own preferred platform, you should respect their preferences. Also, keep track of the message delivery on the platform that the customer contacted you (for example, if a customer contacted you on Facebook, they'd like to receive a response on Facebook).

For example, companies today hire social media experts / digital marketing experts to complete the channels for market presence. These people are always available for any type of customer request made through these platforms. A chatbot can also be a great option for businesses to be accessible to their customers.

Never let them wait - customers want to contact you at a time that's right for them and not for your business. You have to be there to answer these questions. Answer your questions directly and personally as soon as possible. Do not use automated messages as this will frustrate customers.

Be funny. Humor has an original way of connecting us. When we laugh together, we break walls and connect ourselves - so we are more likely to laugh when surrounded by people who are important to us than when we are alone. If you make your users laugh, show them that you do not take yourself too seriously. They show them that you have as much fun as we do and that you are not afraid to give up the formal professionalism of your brand for a moment to experience a human moment. Of course, the nature and appropriateness of the humor you use will depend on your brand, but both self-deprecating humor and humorous references are particularly well-suited to the audience. You do not have to be a consistent comedian, but you have to throw away enough references and side effects to make your audience feel comfortable.

We live in a digital world, but it is still a world full of people. That means you need to have strategies that make your digital brand as human as possible. Luckily, there are some very effective ways to do just that.

Start by finding out where your customers want to connect with you. This means you can follow a multi-channel sales approach, provide personalized content, and provide self-service if you can. Reforbes

It's also a good idea to invest some time and effort to empower your employees to make decisions during customer interaction. Then take the insights you get from your customers and share them across your entire business.