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What to do if…
you develop new yellowing of your eyes or skin that comes on quickly

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

New yellowing of the whites of your eyes or skin needs urgent same-day medical help. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or contact NHS 111 today; call 999 now if you have life-threatening symptoms such as being hard to wake, collapse, a seizure, severe breathing difficulty, or severe rapidly worsening illness.

Do not do these things

  • Do not wait overnight to see if new, quick-onset yellowing fades.
  • Do not drink alcohol to calm yourself or to test whether you feel better.
  • Do not take extra paracetamol, and do not combine cold, flu, pain, or sleep products without checking whether they contain paracetamol.
  • Do not make your own decision to stop, restart, or increase prescribed medicine. If a medicine, supplement, overdose, or harmful substance may be involved, get urgent medical advice and take the packaging with you.
  • Do not drive yourself to urgent care if you feel drowsy, dizzy, confused, faint, very unwell, or in significant pain.

What to do now

  1. Check for life-threatening symptoms. Call 999 now if you are hard to wake, very confused, have collapsed or fainted, have had a seizure, have severe breathing difficulty, have severe chest pain, or feel rapidly worse.
  2. If you do not have those symptoms, arrange same-day urgent medical assessment. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or contact NHS 111 and say: “New yellowing of my eyes or skin that came on quickly.”
  3. If you may have taken too much paracetamol, too much of any medicine, or any harmful substance, call 999 or go to A&E. If you are not sure whether something you took could be harmful, call NHS 111 now. Do not wait for symptoms to develop.
  4. If you are pregnant, call your maternity unit or triage number now if you have it. If you cannot contact them, call NHS 111 and say you are pregnant and have new yellowing of your eyes or skin.
  5. While arranging help, write down when the yellowing started and whether you also have dark urine, pale poo, itching, fever, nausea, vomiting, tummy pain, confusion, unusual sleepiness, or bleeding.
  6. Gather your medicines and product details. Include prescribed medicines, over-the-counter painkillers, cold and flu remedies, herbal products, bodybuilding supplements, weight-loss products, and anything new you started recently.
  7. Make getting assessed safer. Ask someone to stay with you or be reachable, arrange a lift or taxi if needed, and bring medicine packaging or photos of labels.

What can wait

  • You do not need to work out whether the cause is your liver, bile duct, gallbladder, infection, blood, alcohol, medicine, or something else.
  • You do not need to start a detox, fast, special diet, or supplements.
  • You do not need to decide today about work, travel, or long-term lifestyle changes.
  • You do not need to search for every possible cause before contacting medical help.

Important reassurance

Yellowing of the eyes or skin can feel frightening, and it is reasonable to take it seriously. The next safe step is not to diagnose yourself; it is to get checked urgently so clinicians can decide what tests or treatment are needed.

Scope note

These are first steps for new, quick-onset yellowing of the eyes or skin. Later decisions, tests, treatment, and follow-up may need help from a GP, urgent care clinician, maternity team, hospital team, or other specialist.

Important note

This is general information, not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a substitute for urgent professional assessment. If symptoms are severe, rapidly worsening, or you feel unsafe at home, use emergency services.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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