Dehydration can cause high bilirubin.
When you're dehydrated it can result in high bilirubin by reducing your blood plasma volume, which concentrates the bilirubin in your blood.
Dehydration also can trigger elevated levels of bilirubin in people with Gilbert syndrome as a result of stress on liver processing.
Being dehydrated lowers your blood volume, which causes for example, a falsely elevated or even more concentrated reading on your lab results.
If you do have Gilbert Syndrome, which is a common and harmless liver condition, the dehydration, along with fasting or stress can also trigger a temporary rise in unconjugated bilirubin in the body.
And although dehydration does not directly cause the bilirubin to be created, the dehydration can also make your urine or pee much darker, which is also a symptom of higher levels of bilirubin in the body.
It's also important to drink plenty of water and sufficient fluids to help normalize your bilirubin levels, especially if dehydration is the main cause of the high bilirubin
And while mild dehydration can affect your test results for bilirubin levels, significantly high bilirubin levels like >5 mg/dL) often indicate that you have an underlying liver condition or health condition that also warrants medical evaluation.
The bilirubin in the body is the yellowish pigment that is created by the natural breakdown of old red blood cells, in which your liver processes and then excretes as bile.
Having high levels of bilirubin in the blood, which is usually detected through a bilirubin blood test can suggest liver dysfunction or even bile duct blockage or increased red blood cell destruction, which often causes jaundice, also known as yellowing of the skin and eyes.
Bilirubin is produced when red blood cells break down and acts as an antioxidant, but it's also toxic in high amounts and requires the liver for detoxification.
The types of bilirubin are indirect or unconjugated and direct or conjugated.
Direct or conjugated bilirubin is processed by the liver, soluble in water and is excreted into the intestines.
Indirect or unconjugated bilirubin are newly broken down red blood cells that are not soluble in water and travels into the liver.
Causes of high bilirubin are liver disease like hepatitis and cirrhosis.
Bile duct obstruction like tumors or gallstones.
Blood disorders like hemolytic anemia or fast breakdown of RBCs.
And genetic conditions like Gilbert's syndrome.
The symptoms of high bilirubin include Jaundice, which is yellow skin/eyes, dark urine, fatigue, itching and abdominal pain.
Blood tests like total, direct and indirect or even sometimes urine tests are used for testing for high bilirubin levels.
Treatment for high bilirubin includes managing liver disease, removing obstructions in the bile duct or in cases of newborn high bilirubin, phototherapy will often be used.
Normal ranges of bilirubin include.
Total: 0.3–1.0 mg/dL
Direct: 0.1–0.3 mg/dL
Indirect: 0.2–0.8 mg/dL