Yellow Eyes

Having red eyes is one thing, but when the whites of our eyes turn yellow, it may conjure up images of aliens or the devil. Yellow eyes are a hallmark of Jaundice, a condition in which the skin and eyes turn yellow from too much bilirubin, an orange-yellow pigment in the blood. Jaundiced eyes are often warning signs of serious liver disease, such as heaptitis, cirrhosis, or liver cancer. Yellow eyes can also signal pancreatic cancer, sickle cell anemia, and yellow fever, a tropical disease transmitted by a mosquito bite.

Yellow eyes may signal Gilbert's Syndrome, a hereditary form of jaundice, which affects up to 10% of Caucasians and does not usually cause medical problems. Indeed, other than high bilirubin levels, people with this syndrome have no other signs or symptoms and have a normal life expectancy. The jaundice is often mild and sometimes occurs as a result of stress, infections, fasting, or exertion.