What does soe 12 mean in a blood test. ESR in the blood is increased: reasons for the increase and normalization of the indicator. With an increase in the gestational age, the ESR also increases, which is due to

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Previously, it was called ROE, although some still use this abbreviation out of habit, now they call it ESR, but in most cases they apply the middle gender (increased or accelerated ESR) to it. The author, with the permission of readers, will use the modern abbreviation (SOE) and feminine (speed).

  1. Acute and chronic inflammatory processes of infectious origin (pneumonia, syphilis, tuberculosis,). According to this laboratory test, one can judge the stage of the disease, the remission of the process, and the effectiveness of therapy. Synthesis of "acute phase" proteins in the acute period and enhanced production of immunoglobulins in the midst of "military operations" significantly increase the aggregation ability of erythrocytes and the formation of coin columns by them. It should be noted that bacterial infections give higher numbers compared to viral lesions.
  2. Collagenosis (rheumatoid arthritis).
  3. Heart damage (- damage to the heart muscle, inflammation, synthesis of "acute phase" proteins, including fibrinogen, increased aggregation of red blood cells, formation of coin columns - increased ESR).
  4. Diseases of the liver (hepatitis), pancreas (destructive pancreatitis), intestines (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis), kidneys (nephrotic syndrome).
  5. Endocrine pathology (, thyrotoxicosis).
  6. Hematological diseases (,).
  7. Injury to organs and tissues (surgical operations, wounds and bone fractures) - any damage increases the ability of red blood cells to aggregate.
  8. Lead or arsenic poisoning.
  9. Conditions accompanied by severe intoxication.
  10. Malignant neoplasms. Of course, it is unlikely that the test can claim to be the main diagnostic feature in oncology, but its increase one way or another will create many questions that will have to be answered.
  11. Monoclonal gammopathy (Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, immunoproliferative processes).
  12. High cholesterol ().
  13. Exposure to certain drugs (morphine, dextran, vitamin D, methyldopa).

However, in different periods of one process or in various pathological conditions, ESR does not change in the same way:

  • A very sharp increase in ESR up to 60-80 mm/hour is typical for myeloma, lymphosarcoma and other tumors.
  • Tuberculosis in the initial stages does not change the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, but if it is not stopped or a complication joins, the indicator will quickly creep up.
  • In the acute period of infection, the ESR will begin to rise only from 2-3 days, but may not decrease for quite a long time, for example, with lobar pneumonia - the crisis has passed, the disease is receding, and the ESR is holding on.
  • It is unlikely that this laboratory test can help on the first day of acute appendicitis, since it will be within normal limits.
  • Active rheumatism can take a long time with an increase in ESR, but without frightening numbers, however, its decrease should alert in terms of the development of heart failure (, acidosis).
  • Usually, when the infectious process subsides, the total number of leukocytes is the first to return to normal (and remain to complete the reaction), the ESR is somewhat late and decreases later.

Meanwhile, the long-term preservation of high ESR values ​​(20-40, or even 75 mm / h and above) in infectious and inflammatory diseases of any kind, most likely, will lead to the idea of ​​complications, and in the absence of obvious infections, the presence of any then hidden and, possibly, very serious diseases. And, although not in all oncological patients, the disease begins with an increase in ESR, however, its high level (70 mm / h and above) in the absence of an inflammatory process most often occurs in oncology, because sooner or later the tumor will cause significant damage to tissues, damage to which will ultimately As a result, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate will increase.

What can a decrease in ESR mean?

Probably, the reader will agree that we attach little importance to the ESR if the numbers are within the normal range, however, a decrease in the indicator, taking into account age and gender, to 1-2 mm / hour will still raise a number of questions from especially curious patients. For example, a general blood test of a woman of reproductive age, with repeated examination, “spoils” the level of erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which does not fit into physiological parameters. Why is this happening? As in the case of an increase, a decrease in ESR also has its own reasons, due to a decrease or lack of the ability of red blood cells to aggregate and form coin columns.

Factors leading to such deviations include:

  1. Increased blood viscosity, which, with an increase in the number of red blood cells (erythremia), can generally stop the sedimentation process;
  2. Change in the shape of red blood cells, which, in principle, due to their irregular shape, cannot fit into coin columns (crescent, spherocytosis, etc.);
  3. Changes in physical and chemical parameters of blood with a downward shift in pH.

Such changes in the blood are characteristic of the following conditions of the body:

  • (hyperbilirubinemia);
  • Obstructive jaundice and, as a result, the release of a large amount of bile acids;
  • and reactive erythrocytosis;
  • sickle cell anemia;
  • Chronic circulatory failure;
  • Decreased fibrinogen levels (hypofibrinogenemia).

However, clinicians do not consider a decrease in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate to be an important diagnostic indicator, so the data are given specifically for especially inquisitive people. It is clear that in men this decrease is generally not noticeable.

It will definitely not work to determine an increase in ESR without an injection in the finger, but it is quite possible to assume an accelerated result. An increase in heart rate (), an increase in body temperature (fever), and other symptoms indicating the approach of an infectious and inflammatory disease may be indirect signs of a change in many hematological parameters, including the erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

Video: clinical blood test, ESR, Dr. Komarovsky

The study of ESR is one of the most common methods in laboratory practice and is part of the general clinical blood test.

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate is the rate at which unclotting blood separates into two layers: the lower layer, consisting of settled erythrocytes, and the upper one, a layer of transparent plasma.

ESR process

The process of erythrocyte sedimentation consists of 3 phases:

  • Aggregation - the primary formation of erythrocyte columns
  • Sedimentation - the rapid appearance of the erythroplasmic border, the continuation of the formation of columns of erythrocytes and their sedimentation
  • Compaction - completion of erythrocyte aggregation and settling of erythrocyte columns at the bottom of the tube

ESR analyzer Alifax Roller 20PN

What does the ESR show?

ESR is not a specific indicator for any particular disease, that is, it is impossible to establish a specific diagnosis by its increase.

This test is considered useful for detecting latent forms of various diseases, determining the activity of chronic inflammatory conditions. Also, ESR can serve as an indicator of the effectiveness of the therapy.

However, the measurement of ESR is in no way used to diagnose cancer.

What are the reasons for the increase in ESR?

Elevated ESR is a sign of any disease associated with significant tissue damage, inflammation, infection, or malignant cancer.

In all infectious and inflammatory diseases, the immune system reacts by increasing the production of immunoglobulins. This in turn increases the propensity of erythrocytes to aggregate and form columns of erythrocytes. Repeated studies of ESR allow us to assess the dynamics of the course of the infectious process and the effectiveness of treatment.

Also, ESR is influenced by many other factors that determine the physicochemical state of plasma: viscosity, electrolyte composition of plasma, the ratio between plasma cholesterol and lecithin, the content of acids in it, etc.

The main reasons for the increase in ESR:

  • Any inflammatory process in the body, such as arthritis, contributes to the acceleration of ESR due to the production of a large amount of "acute phase proteins of inflammation."
  • A number of diseases in which tissue damage occurs - myocardial infarction, destructive pancreatitis, etc.
  • Surgical interventions are also accompanied by an increase in ESR.
  • A decrease in the number of red blood cells in patients with anemia also leads to an increase in ESR.
  • All infectious diseases, as a rule, are accompanied by an acceleration of ESR.
  • Obesity.
  • An error during a blood test, for example, the wrong temperature regime.
  • An increase in ESR is noted in elderly patients.

How to calculate the individual norm of ESR in elderly patients?

The easiest way is to use the Miller formula:

For example, the acceptable ESR limit for a 60-year-old woman:
(60 years + 10) : 2 = 35 mm/hour

When changes are detected in the clinical blood test, the first thing the patient goes to is a general practitioner. A useful point is that the ESR is included in the clinical blood test, which means that at the same time the doctor sees the level of leukocytes, platelets, hemoglobin. When making a diagnosis, the doctor first chooses between three groups: infections, immune diseases and conditions, malignant diseases. The doctor interviews and examines the patient, after which, based on the symptoms, examination and diagnostic data, he determines further tactics.

If the reason for the increase in ESR is not identified, the analysis should be repeated after 1-3 months. Normalization of the indicator is noted in almost 80% of cases.

ESR and oncology

In the absence of an inflammatory and infectious disease, a significant increase in ESR should raise suspicion regarding the presence of a malignant tumor. At the first suspicion of its presence, a consultation with an oncologist and a thorough additional examination using high-tech equipment and competent specialists is necessary.

Oncology is a multifactorial disease, accompanied by both inflammatory processes and anemia, metabolic disorders, and therefore causing the body to release a large amount of active substances, proteins. Therefore, most patients with various forms of malignant tumors have elevated ESR.

For example, ESR in lung cancer may increase in the presence of pneumonia near the tumor. With cancer of the colon or stomach, severe anemia occurs, which leads to an increase in ESR.

There is no specific level for each tumor, most often the increase is due to a combination of many factors.

The highest level of ESR (80-90 mm / h or more), associated with oncology, is usually determined in diseases grouped into the group of "paraproteinemias" (multiple myeloma, Waldenström's macroglobulinemia). In these diseases, structurally abnormal and functionally defective proteins appear in the blood, which leads to changes in the blood.

Is ESR always elevated in cancer?

Any doctor who has worked in medicine for at least a few years will answer this question for you: As with a high ESR, there may not be an oncological disease, and a low ESR does not mean its absence. The identification of such a complex diagnosis as cancer requires the simultaneous study of symptoms, a thorough examination of the patient and, of course, data from laboratory and instrumental examinations.

The test for erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is accepted in medicine all over the world as mandatory when conducting a general blood test. It is carried out during preventive examination, dispensary examination and diagnosis of diseases.

The norm of ESR in the patient's blood indicates the absence of a pronounced inflammatory reaction in organs and tissues. However, the ESR indicator is not considered the only and unique in the diagnosis. Correct interpretation is possible only together with other results of the analysis: the total number of leukocytes, leukocyte blood count, c-reactive protein are taken into account. The number of erythrocytes and their qualitative composition can also affect the ESR index. Consider how a laboratory analysis is carried out.

Method for determining ESR

In Russia, the well-known Panchenkov method is used.

The essence of the method: if you mix blood with sodium citrate, then it does not coagulate, but is divided into two layers. The lower layer is formed by erythrocytes, the upper one is transparent plasma. The process of erythrocyte sedimentation is associated with the chemical and physical properties of blood.

There are three stages in the formation of a precipitate:

  • in the first ten minutes, vertical clusters of cells are formed, which are called "coin columns";
  • then forty minutes are spent on settling;
  • for another ten minutes, the erythrocytes stick together and condense.

This means that the entire reaction takes a maximum of 60 minutes.

These capillaries collect blood to determine the ESR

For research, a drop of blood is taken from a finger, blown into a special recess on the plate, where a 5% solution of sodium citrate has been previously added. After mixing, the diluted blood is drawn into thin glass graduated capillary tubes up to the upper mark and placed in a special stand strictly vertically. In order not to confuse the tests, a note with the patient's name is pierced with the lower end of the capillary. The time is recorded by a special laboratory clock with an alarm. Exactly one hour later, the results of the height of the erythrocyte column are taken into account. The answer is recorded in mm per hour (mm/h).

Despite the simplicity of the methodology, there are guidelines that must be followed when performing the test:

  • take blood only on an empty stomach;
  • apply a sufficiently deep injection of the pulp of the finger so that the blood does not have to be squeezed out (red blood cells are destroyed under pressure);
  • use fresh reagent, dry washed capillaries;
  • fill the capillary with blood without air bubbles;
  • observe the correct ratio between sodium citrate solution and blood (1:4) with stirring;
  • carry out the determination of ESR at an ambient temperature of 18-22 degrees.

Any violations in the analysis can lead to unreliable results. The reasons for the erroneous result should be sought in violation of the technique, inexperience of the laboratory assistant.

Normal level

Under normal conditions, red blood cells settle slowly, which means that the figure in an hour will be quite low. With various diseases, an increased amount of proteins, fibrin appears in the blood. They cause red blood cells to settle faster. The ESR value increases.

The norms of ESR in the blood depend on age, physiological state (pregnancy). Women, men and children are different. There is evidence that they even differ somewhat among residents of different territories.

To determine the exact standard, mass surveys were carried out. The average value obtained is considered normal.

The norm of ESR in a child, depending on age, is presented in the table.

In women during pregnancy, a relationship between the norm and the body type was revealed.

In addition, there is a dependence of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate on the hemoglobin level in a pregnant woman.

ESR norms in adults also change with age.

Interpretation of the analysis

The interpretation of such an indicator as ESR is very non-specific in the analysis. A more specific indication of the type of disease is obtained by taking into account the level of ESR and the number of leukocytes together. These indicators are studied by the doctor in dynamics by the days of the disease.

For example, in acute myocardial infarction, the number of leukocytes increases in the first hours of the disease, while the ESR remains normal. On the fifth day, a symptom of "scissors" is expected, when the level of leukocytes falls, and the ESR, on the contrary, rises and stays above the norm for a long time. In the future, leukocytes remain normal, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is used to judge the scarring of the heart muscle and the effectiveness of the treatment.

The combination of a high white blood cell count, an accelerated ESR allows the doctor to continue the diagnosis in terms of finding the source of the inflammatory reaction.

Significantly increased the value of ESR in allergic processes in the body, especially in diseases associated with an erroneous autoallergic reaction to one's own cells. These include systemic diseases: lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Deciphering high numbers of erythrocyte sedimentation rate makes it possible to identify tumor diseases, blood diseases (acute leukemia, multiple myeloma), is important for the diagnosis of various anemias (anemia), the degree of blood loss during injuries, surgical interventions, kidney diseases, kidney failure.

An elevated ESR level is determined in infectious diseases: rheumatism, tuberculosis, any viral infection complicated by bacterial inflammation (paranasal sinuses with influenza, measles and scarlet fever in children). The erythrocyte reaction signals how long the inflammation lasts.

A decrease in ESR is noted with damage to erythrocytes (erythremia, sickle cell anemia), extensive burns that increase blood viscosity, cholera due to fluid loss, congenital heart defects with chronic heart failure, liver and kidney diseases with a decrease in protein in the blood.

Once identified unusual analysis must be repeated to exclude the influence of various factors. A persistent increase in ESR is a serious reason for an in-depth examination.

It is possible to find out exactly what reason caused the increase in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in a particular case after a diagnosis, taking into account the verification of other objective symptoms of the disease. Clinical examination allows you to detect the disease at the stage of absence of clinical manifestations.

The measurement of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and the use of this indicator as a method of medical diagnosis was proposed back in 1918 by the Swedish researcher Faro. First, he was able to establish that the ESR in pregnant women is significantly higher than in non-pregnant women, and then he found that an increase in ESR indicates many diseases.

But this indicator entered the medical protocols for blood tests only decades later. First Westergren in 1926 and then Winthrop in 1935 developed methods for measuring the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which are widely used in medicine today.

Laboratory characteristic of ESR

The erythrocyte sedimentation rate shows the ratio of plasma protein fractions. Due to the fact that the density of erythrocytes is higher than the density of plasma, they slowly settle to the bottom under the influence of gravity in the test tube. At the same time, the very speed of this process is determined by the degree of aggregation of red blood cells: the higher the level of aggregation of blood cells, the lower their resistance to friction and the higher the settling rate. As a result, a thick burgundy precipitate of erythrocytes appears in the test tube or in the capillary at the bottom, and a translucent liquid remains in the upper part.

Interestingly, in addition to the red blood cells themselves, other chemicals that make up the blood also affect the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. In particular, globulins, albumins and fibrinogen are able to change the surface charge of erythrocytes, increasing their tendency to "stick together" with each other, thereby increasing the ESR.

At the same time, ESR is a non-specific laboratory indicator, by which it is impossible to unambiguously judge the reasons for its change relative to the norm. At the same time, its high sensitivity is appreciated by physicians, who, when the erythrocyte sedimentation rate changes, have a clear signal for further examination of the patient.
The ESR is measured in millimeters per hour.

In addition to methods for measuring the erythrocyte sedimentation rate of Westergren and Winthrop, Panchenkov's method is also used in modern medicine. Despite some differences in these methods, the results they show are approximately the same. Let's consider all three methods of studying ESR in more detail.

The Westergren method is the most common in the world and it is he who is approved by the International Committee for the Standardization of Blood Research. This method involves the sampling of venous blood, which is combined for analysis in a ratio of 4 to 1 with sodium citrate. The diluted blood is placed in a capillary 15 centimeters long with a measuring scale on its walls, and an hour later the distance from the upper boundary of the settled erythrocytes to the upper boundary of the plasma is measured. The results of the ESR study using the Westergren method are considered as objective as possible.

The Winthrop ESR method differs in that the blood is combined with an anticoagulant (it inhibits the blood's ability to clot) and placed in a tube with a scale on which the ESR is measured. At the same time, this technique is considered indicative for high rates of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (more than 60 mm / h), since in this case the tube becomes clogged with settled blood cells.

According to Panchenkov, the study of ESR is as similar as possible to Westergren's methodology. The blood diluted with sodium citrate is placed for settling in a capillary divided by 100 units. An hour later, the ESR is measured.

At the same time, the results according to the methods of Westergren and Panchenkov are the same only in the normal state, and with an increase in ESR, the first method fixes higher rates. In modern medicine, with an increase in ESR, it is the Westergren method that is considered more accurate. Recently, automatic devices for measuring the ESR index have also appeared in modern laboratories, the operation of which actually does not require human intervention. The function of a laboratory employee is only to decipher the results.

Norms of erythrocyte sedimentation rate

The ESR indicator in the norm varies quite seriously depending on the sex and age of the person. The gradations of this standard for a healthy person are specifically indicated and for clarity we present them in the form of a table:

In some gradations of ESR norms for people aged 60 years and over, not a specific indicator is used, but a formula. In this case, in older men, the upper limit of normal is equal to age divided by two, and in women, age plus "10" divided by two. This technique is used quite rarely and only by individual laboratories. The values ​​​​of the maximum ESR norm for it can reach 36-44 mm / h and even higher rates, which by most doctors is already considered a signal of the presence of pathology and the need for medical research.

It is worth noting once again the fact that the ESR norm in a pregnant woman can seriously differ from the indicators given in the table above. In anticipation of a child, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate can reach 40-50 mm / h, which in no way indicates a disease or pathology and is not a prerequisite for any further research.

Reasons for the growth of ESR

The growth of ESR can indicate dozens of different diseases and abnormalities in the body, so it is always used in combination with other laboratory studies. But at the same time, in medicine there is a certain list of groups of diseases in which the erythrocyte sedimentation rate invariably increases:

  • blood diseases (in particular, with sickle cell anemia, the irregular shape of erythrocytes provokes an increase in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which differs significantly from the normative indicators);
  • infarctions and (in this case, acute-phase inflammatory proteins are adsorbed on the surface of blood cells, reducing their electrical charge);
  • diseases associated with metabolic disorders (diabetes mellitus, cystic fibrosis, obesity);
  • diseases of the liver and biliary tract;
  • leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma (with myeloma, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in almost all cases exceeds 90 mm / h and can reach 150 mm / h);
  • malignant neoplasms.

In addition, an increase in ESR is observed in most inflammatory processes in the body, with anemia and with various infections.
Modern statistics of laboratory studies have collected enough data on the reasons for the increase in ESR, which made it possible to create a kind of "rating". The absolute leader causing the growth of ESR are infectious diseases. They account for 40 percent of the facts of detection of excess ESR. Oncological diseases and rheumatism took the second and third places of this list with the results of 23 and 17 percent. In eight percent of cases of fixing a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate, it was caused by anemia, inflammatory processes in the digestive tract and the pelvic area, diabetes mellitus, injuries and diseases of the upper respiratory tract, and in three percent of cases, increased ESR was a signal of kidney disease.

Despite the fact that the collected statistics are quite eloquent, you should not self-diagnose yourself in terms of ESR. This can only be done by a doctor, using several laboratory tests in combination. The ESR indicator can increase very seriously, up to 90-100 mm / h, regardless of the type of disease, but in terms of the result of the study, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate cannot serve as a marker for a specific cause.

There are also prerequisites under which the growth of ESR does not reflect the development of any disease. In particular, a sharp increase in the indicator is observed in pregnant women, and a slight increase in ESR is possible with allergic reactions and even on the type of food: diet or fasting lead to changes in the blood test and to some extent affect the ESR. In medicine, this group of factors is called the causes of a false positive ESR analysis and they are tried to be excluded even before the examination.
In a separate paragraph, it is worth mentioning the cases when even in-depth studies do not show the reasons for the increase in ESR. Very rarely, a constant overestimation of this indicator can be a feature of the body that has neither prerequisites nor consequences. This feature is typical for every twentieth inhabitant of the planet. But even in this case, it is recommended to be regularly examined by a doctor so as not to miss the development of any pathology.

It is also important that in most diseases, the growth of ESR does not begin immediately, but after a day, and after recovery, the restoration of this indicator to normal can take up to four weeks. This fact should be remembered by every doctor, so that after the completion of the course of treatment, the person should not be subjected to additional studies due to a residual increase in the ESR.

Reasons for the growth of ESR in a child

The body of children traditionally differs from the adult in terms of laboratory results. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate is no exception, the growth of which in a child is provoked by a slightly modified list of prerequisites.

In most cases, an increased ESR in the blood of a child indicates the presence of an infectious-inflammatory process in the body. This is often confirmed by other results in the general blood test, which, together with ESR, almost immediately form a picture of the child's condition. At the same time, in a small patient, an increase in this indicator is often accompanied by a visual deterioration of the condition: weakness, apathy, lack of appetite - a classic picture of an infectious disease with the presence of an inflammatory process.

Of the non-communicable diseases that most often provoke an increased ESR in a child, the following should be highlighted:

  • pulmonary and extrapulmonary forms of tuberculosis;
  • anemia and blood diseases;
  • diseases associated with metabolic disorders;
  • injury.

However, if an increased ESR is found in a child, the reasons can be quite harmless. In particular, going beyond the norm of this indicator can be triggered by taking paracetamol, one of the most popular antipyretic drugs, teething in infants, the presence of worms (helminthiasis), and vitamin deficiency in the body. All these factors are also false-positive and must be taken into account even at the stage of preparation for the delivery of a laboratory blood test.

Causes of an underestimated ESR

A low relative to the norm erythrocyte sedimentation rate is quite rare. In most cases, this situation is provoked by violations of hyperhydration (water-salt metabolism) in the body. In addition, low ESR may be a consequence of developing muscle dystrophy and liver failure. Among the non-pathological causes of low ESR, corticosteroids, smoking, vegetarianism, prolonged fasting and early pregnancy are distinguished, but there is practically no consistency in these prerequisites.
Finally, let's summarize all the information about the ESR:

  • this is a non-specific indicator. Only on it it is impossible to diagnose the disease;
  • an increase in ESR is not a reason for panic, but is a reason for in-depth analysis. The reasons can be both very harmless and quite serious;
  • ESR is one of the few laboratory studies that is based on mechanical action, and not on a chemical reaction;
  • until recently, automatic systems for measuring ESR made laboratory assistant error the most common cause of false erythrocyte sedimentation rate analysis.

In modern medicine, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate continues to be perhaps the most popular laboratory blood test. The high sensitivity of the analysis allows doctors to clearly determine the presence of problems in the patient and prescribe further examination. The only serious drawback of this study is the strong dependence of the result on the correctness of the actions of the laboratory assistant, but with the advent of automatic systems for determining ESR, the human factor can be eliminated.

The article discloses information about the nature and causes of elevated ESR in the blood, as well as what the consequences for men, women and children may be.


When diagnosing the state of human health, one of the first indicators that is measured is the ESR - the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. This research gives the doctor the direction in which his subsequent actions will take place.

What does an elevated ESR in the blood indicate?

Deviation from the normal state does not indicate serious pathologies. The phenomenon of an increased number of red blood cells in medicine is called polycythemia. This happens for various reasons. in the early stages of the disease, ESR begins to increase. Already after 2 weeks, the rate of erythrocytes reaches its maximum. But not always and not everyone is the same, there are exceptions. The main factor influencing the level of ESR in the blood is the type of disease that became the precursor to its increase.
Deviation from the norm can be a signal of the following phenomena:
  • Viral disease, for example, SARS
  • The presence of a bacterial infection in the body
  • Pathologies associated with the kidneys
  • Rheumatism
  • Diabetes mellitus;
  • Cardiac failure
  • Lymphoma
  • Other disorders of the body
This indicator is quite significant, since, in combination with other analysis data, it contributes to an objective assessment of the state of human health. In addition, ESR in dynamics can show how the disease proceeds and indicates how effective the treatment methods are.

ESR norm - table



The norm of ESR in the blood for each person is different. The main distinguishing factors are age and gender. The main measuring unit of the ESR level is the distance for the time during which the blood compounds fall to the bottom of the tank. When the rate of descent is higher than normal, this is a sign that there is a strong response of the body to the inflammatory factor and a characteristic serious inflammation.
The following are the indicators of the norm of ESR in the blood in children, women and men.

Initially, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is influenced by those factors that are included in the clinical analysis formula. In advantage, it changes the rate of the level of erythrocytes, namely the increase and decrease of pigments and bile acids.

Possible causes of increased ESR in the blood



One of the influential reasons why the erythrocyte sedimentation rate increases is the presence of an inflammatory process in the body.
In general, there are a number of reasons why the ESR indicator exceeds its normal parameters:
  • Infection. Infections of a bacterial nature signal themselves by exceeding the norm. The most common foci of such diseases are the respiratory tract and the genitourinary system.
  • Diseases for which tissue breakdown is characteristic: purulent diseases, malignant neoplasms, tuberculosis and heart attack
  • Diseases of an autoimmune nature. An example of such problems can be lupus erythematosus, arthritis, thrombocytopenic purpura, and others. The change in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate occurs due to the fact that all of the listed diseases greatly change the blood plasma, as a result of which it becomes defective.
  • Kidney diseases. Often there are cases of an increase in ESR due to the fact that the level of protein in the blood decreases, which is excreted from the body through urine and, in turn, affects the renal vessels
  • Pathologies associated with metabolism (diabetes mellitus or thyrotoxicosis)
The above reasons are the most common.
Advice: it is necessary to take into account the fact that even a slight cold can provoke an increase in ESR. For this reason, for a comprehensive blood test, it is necessary to exclude the possibility of a cold.

Among women

The causes of increased ESR in the female can be quite different. For women, the following key points are characteristic, which lead to an acceleration of erythrocyte sedimentation:
  • Pregnancy period
  • period of menstruation
  • The period after childbirth
  • Period before menopause
During an appointment with a doctor, a woman should tell the doctor about the presence of one of the above factors.

In men

Men have their own reasons for increasing ESR, namely:
  • Oncological diseases
  • Infectious diseases of the genitourinary system
  • Tuberculosis
  • Hepatitis
Since the above factors for increasing ESR involve the use of drugs, the doctor should be aware of their use.

The child has

In children, certain processes occur in the body that lead to changes in the level of ESR. The cause of the acceleration of red blood cells is most often the process of inflammation. In addition, a deviation from the norm can occur due to sleep disturbance, the period when teeth erupt, or gastric upset.
Advice: It is strongly recommended that you tell your doctor about your healthy lifestyle before taking ESR tests. And also, about the presence of smoking in it or other aforementioned factors that can provoke a jump in red blood cells. This will allow the doctor to quickly recognize the reasons for the non-compliance with the ESR norm.

What is ESR: video

In the video, information is conveyed by a doctor who specializes in a comprehensive blood test. He essentially talks about what the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is, about the reasons for the violation of such a phenomenon and about its consequences.

Thus, it is important to regularly do a comprehensive blood test. In this case, it will be possible to avoid serious problems in the future.



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