People don’t often hear the word, Gilbert’s disease, probably because it is a rare medical condition affecting only 5% of the entire population. Sometimes called GS or Gilbert-Meulengracht syndrome, it was first described by Augustin Nicolas Gilbert in the year 1901, a French gastroenterologist and, its discovery, often associated with Jeins Enar Meulengracht.

This is a non-fatal disease and manifests as a result of another more serious medical condition. Genetically speaking, Gilbert’s disease causes an increase in bilirubin or what you call hyperbilirubinemia. As a result of this rise, its major symptom is jaundice which is caused precisely by hyperbilirubinemia. Jaundice is a yellow discoloration of the skin and the whites of the eyes, a symptom which is most often seen in new born babies taken as a sign of poor health.

Other than jaundice, the disease also causes some abdominal pains which may be quick, stabbing or prolonged and oftentimes the patient also experiences nausea. In addition, the patient may also feel unexplained and considerable fatigue making him slow and lack energy to do his normal activities. He may also notice that he is sleeping more than usual and if he is awake, he would still feel sleepy and lethargic. Generally, he would feel considerable weakness which results to slow accomplishment of chores at home or assignments in the office. Other symptoms include unexplained appetite loss, weight loss and difficulty in concentrating.

It could be difficult to diagnose Gilbert’s disease. A person may already have the disease for quite some time but may not be aware of it because the only way to discover it is when it is anchored to a more serious medical condition. Being non-fatal and the symptoms often associated with other conditions, it does not manifest by itself. Unless, a high level of bilirubin manifests caused by factors related to a particular condition, then the jaundice would not be evident.

While the disease may cause jaundice and abdominal pain, the prescribed treatment is neither really intensive nor prolonged. With effects that are not serious, the usual course of treatment is just through a medication against jaundice. When the jaundice is cured, this is usually enough to stop patient’s worrying. It is also interesting to note that jaundice may occur in different times of a person’s life and because it may also be symptoms to diseases like prolonged colds or pneumonia, it may be a factor which can cause misdiagnosis.

So what can one person do if he experiences the symptoms as described? Well, although Gilbert’s disease itself does not cause death, it is still important to consult a medical doctor because, as was mentioned, it may be a sign of a more serious disorder like liver or blood disorder. If it is an after effect of a cured disease, it becomes more important for the patient to eliminate all the telltales of said disease most especially jaundice.