Ask the Doctor: A brighter shade of…. yellow?
I didn’t know a substantial number of adults could have excess bilirubin issues. I haven’t heard of bilirubin since my daughter was born. She turned yellow for awhile, since her new liver wasn’t able to process the excess bilirubin – a common occurrence in newborns. What’s interesting is that the cure was to put her under high intensity light via flourescent tubes or the sun since the light would help break down the bilirubin. Doing some reading around the Internet, it seems to be the high energy blue wavelengths that help break down the bilirubin. A key to this phototherapy is that baby’s eyes must be covered for their protection.