Will they take me for surgery if the ESR is elevated? Increased ESR. Normal indicators for ESR in the blood of women and why they increase

For almost a hundred years, doctors have used a diagnostic method - analysis of the ESR (or ROE) indicator. The decoding of the abbreviation is not known to everyone; it raises natural questions - what are the indications for the study, what does a high ESR indicator on the analysis form mean, what processes does a deviation from the norm reflect.

A blood test allows you to find out the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. This method has become the main diagnostic method used in the first stages of searching for pathologies. A high ESR in a blood test is the basis for additional research. The test result does not indicate a disease developing in a person. The increase in indicators is facilitated by the individual characteristics of the subject’s body, his age and gender.

How is the research conducted and its purpose?

An elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate is determined by the test results. To perform this, blood is taken from a finger, then an anticoagulant is added. The sample is placed in a capillary - a thin tube with divisions. It is installed on a tripod. After a certain period of time, the red blood cells settle, the blood plasma remains on top - a yellowish liquid, and a “layer” of platelets and leukocytes forms between them. The result of the analysis is determined from the level of plasma formed per hour, recorded as mm/hour (millimeters per hour).

For clinical diagnostics, instruments and devices are used that make it possible to quickly determine an increase in ESR. Traditional research methods are also used.

The analysis method is often used, the accuracy of the result is high. Less common in diagnostics is the use of Wintrobe and Panchenkov methods.

The reason for the increase in the indicator can be many factors. Carrying out analysis in conjunction with other diagnostic procedures allows you to achieve the following goals:

• give an initial assessment of the patient’s health status;
• the result contributes to the selection and conduct of additional research;
• monitor the effectiveness of treatment at any stage, adjust, predict the effectiveness, and the possible outcome of the disease.

A blood test will help determine how high the ESR is

What ESR indicators are normal?

Tests allow you to determine ESR in the blood, evaluate indicators - values ​​when they are normal or note an increase. The patient’s age category, gender, health characteristics, and the presence of certain diseases affect the increase in the indicator obtained as a result of the study.

In children under one year of age, the formation and development of the immune system, organs and body systems occurs, which determines the ESR indicators.

1. In the first days of life in babies, the norm is indicated by indicator values ​​from 0 to 2 mm/h.
2. Up to one year of age, doctors consider the optimal values ​​to be from 2 to 10 mm/h.
3. In preschool children, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is increased to values ​​in the range of 5-11 mm/h.
4. The results of 4-12 mm/h correspond to the norm in late childhood.

The blood of women and men has different cell content, red blood cells settle at different rates. The normal value for representatives of the stronger sex is in the range from 2 to 12 mm/h. For a woman, the norm is determined by a speed of 3 mm/h, ESR 20 is the limit value.

In people, the normal value of the indicator, determined in clinical studies, changes with age.

After 50 years, it can be significantly increased; ESR 50 is not critical for people of this age category and older. Therefore, high indicators after reaching retirement age are the norm, and differ significantly from the indicators identified in previous years, for example: at 30 years old. This is due to the fact that age-related changes occur in the red blood cell.

Decrease and increase in subsidence rate

Importance of analysis for diagnosis

A high ESR in a blood test is associated with physiological processes in the human body. An increase in erythrocyte sedimentation rate in adults is facilitated by conditions associated with:

• acute form of appendicitis;
• possible myocardial infarction;
• development of angina pectoris;
• with pregnancy developing outside the uterus.

At the first suspicion of these pathological conditions that are particularly dangerous to human life, it is necessary to conduct a blood test and check the values ​​of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. This method allows emergency therapeutic or surgical measures to be carried out on time, which will save the patient from health problems, sometimes from death.

A high level of ESR may be associated with the use of antibiotics during treatment. This side effect from taking medications of this group is temporary, after some time the indicator decreases to normal.

Deviation of indicators in women after 50 years

Degrees of deviations in patients

In medical practice, there are four degrees of abnormalities in an adult patient associated with increased ESR in the blood. Each degree displays how much the indicator exceeds the norm:

1. First degree - there is a slight excess of the norm, the value of other blood parameters remains at the normal level.
2. The second degree is situations where the normal threshold is exceeded and ranges from 15 to 29 units. With such indicators, the development of a minor inflammatory process is characteristic, which is observed during seasonal colds, the correct treatment of which is associated with a decrease in elevated indicators. Can develop with normal leukocytes.
3. With the third degree, ESR corresponds to indicators of more than thirty units. With such an increase, we are talking about significant inflammatory foci, the development of processes of death of organ tissue - extremely dangerous processes that require the close attention of doctors and high-quality treatment.
4. An increased level of ESR in a patient, which is 48-60 or more, is the fourth degree of deviation, the highest limit. An accelerated ESR reaction of this magnitude indicates dangerous, life-threatening pathologies for the patient.

Speed ​​limits for people over 60 years of age

What diseases cause increased ESR?

Why does ESR increase? What diseases or other causes lead to such indicators? What do the numbers in them mean? Patients ask these questions to their attending physician.

No specialist can immediately and unambiguously voice the reason for the high values ​​recorded on the form. Only additional diagnostic methods help determine what causes an increase in ESR may be in a particular patient.

The main reasons leading to an increased number in a blood test are the presence of diseases.

If the ESR is higher than normal, this means the development of one or more diseases:

• infections of a bacterial, viral or fungal nature - their progression triggers processes in which the ESR is increased, the reaction rate increases, because leukocytes in the blood are increased. The reasons for a high test result may be influenza, bronchitis and pneumonia, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis.
• neoplasms of various natures (malignant and benign) - the development of tumors is associated with a significant increase in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, the level of leukocytes does not increase, the number of leukocytes will increase only with the development of neoplasms of certain types;
• analysis, when the ESR indicator is increased, helps to identify diseases of the rheumatological type: arthritis, arthrosis, rheumatism, changes in connective tissues of a diffuse nature, lupus erythematosus and others;
• high rates are accompanied by diseases of the urinary tract, kidneys - urolithiasis, pyelonephritis, hydronephrosis;
• blood diseases.

One of the main reasons that increases ESR, a process that accelerates the reaction, is considered to be poisoning of the body with harmful substances, toxins of various origins. With it, processes occur associated with changes in the qualitative composition of the blood, in which the number of leukocytes changes, its density increases, which causes increased ESR values ​​due to the fact that the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is increased.

Organ diseases can cause accelerated ESR

Other reasons causing an increase in ESR

Sometimes the reason for which accelerated ESR syndrome is observed is not associated with a pathological disorder of body functions. An increase in indicators is observed during normal health and is caused by natural processes and individual reactions to them. Patients are concerned about the result being increased for no reason and do not know what to do to ensure that the sedimentation rate is normal.

A high false ESR, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate syndrome, can be caused by:

• taking hormonal medications;
• unbalanced diet containing foods low in iron;
• persistent effects on the body of allergens;
• excess content of vitamins in the body, especially A;
• constant stress, psychological situation deviating from normal.

Individual characteristics of people contribute to the accelerated process observed during erythrocyte sedimentation, as evidenced by an increase in their ESR. This level, which increases without any special reason, is studied and no correction is required. Minor fluctuations in blood parameters associated with the level of leukocytes, an accelerated reaction are observed depending on the time of day.

How to reduce elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate: foods to reduce rates

Under what conditions is accelerated ESR observed in women?

Features of female nature - pregnancy, breastfeeding, hormonal changes at different periods of life increase the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Why do such processes occur, what does their presence mean, why is the value of the indicators increased?

Before deciphering the test results, the doctor asks women about the presence of “critical” days, taking hormonal contraceptives, changes in nutrition due to diet, and possible pregnancy.

The listed reasons can change blood content, increase the leukocyte rate, promote faster erythrocyte sedimentation, and change the saturation of blood with leukocytes.

If the result of ESR in the blood of women is increased, this result of the analysis indicates pregnancy, or diseases associated with the acceleration of red blood cells. For example, an increased ESR of 45 during pregnancy is normal and should not cause concern to the expectant mother. Its maximum value during this period reaches 55-70 units.

There are ESR standards for pregnant women depending on body fatness. Indicators in the first half of pregnancy for thin women will be normal if their value is 32-33, 32-38, 42-46. For obese pregnant women, an ESR of 51-52, 55-57 is dangerous and exceeds the norm.

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

1. Acute and chronic inflammatory processes of infectious origin (pneumonia, syphilis, tuberculosis,). Using this laboratory test, one can judge the stage of the disease, the subsidence of the process, and the effectiveness of therapy. The synthesis of “acute phase” proteins in the acute period and the enhanced production of immunoglobulins at the height of “military operations” significantly increase the aggregation abilities 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 polyarthritis).
3. Heart lesions ( – 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 (surgeries, 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 sign for oncology, but its increase will one way or another create many questions that will have to be answered.
11. Monoclonal gammopathies (Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, immunoproliferative processes).
12. High cholesterol ().
13. Exposure to certain medications (morphine, dextran, vitamin D, methyldopa).

However, at different periods of the same process or under different pathological conditions, ESR does not change the same:

• A very sharp increase in ESR 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 occurs, the rate will quickly creep up.
• In the acute period of infection, the ESR will begin to increase 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 recedes, but the ESR persists.
• It is unlikely that this laboratory test will be able to help on the first day of acute appendicitis, since it will be within normal limits.
• Active rheumatism can last for a long time with an increase in ESR, but without frightening numbers, but its decrease should alert you to the development of heart failure (acidosis).
• Usually, when the infectious process subsides, the total number of leukocytes returns to normal first (and remains to complete the reaction), ESR is somewhat delayed and decreases later.

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

What could a decrease in ESR mean?

The reader will probably agree that we attach little importance to ESR if the numbers are within the normal range, but reducing the indicator, taking into account age and gender, to 1-2 mm/hour will still raise a number of questions for particularly curious patients. For example, a general blood test of a woman of reproductive age, when examined repeatedly, “spoils” the level of erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which does not fit into the 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. Changes in the shape of red blood cells, which, in principle, due to their irregular shape, cannot fit into coin columns (sickling, spherocytosis, etc.);
3. Changes in physical and chemical blood parameters with a shift in pH downward.

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

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

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

It is definitely not possible to determine whether your ESR has increased without a finger prick, but it is quite possible to assume an accelerated result. Increased heart rate (), increased body temperature (fever), and other symptoms indicating the approach of an infectious-inflammatory disease can be indirect signs of changes in many hematological parameters, including the erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

Video: clinical blood test, ESR, Dr. Komarovsky

27.03.2014, 15:07

Good afternoon
My mother (67 years old) has had an elevated ESR (35-52) for more than 10 years in a state of remission of chronic diseases. She, of course, has a “bouquet” of diseases, but doctors do not identify any of them as the cause of such a constantly increased value.
Mom’s ESR has been consistently high for many years to this day. Before the discovery of rheumatoid arthritis in 2006, her general condition did not cause discomfort during such testing. Doctors gave up a long time ago - obviously, this is a feature of the body.
At the moment, my mother has been diagnosed with cataracts and is indicated for surgery. The ophthalmologist refuses to perform it due to ESR. sent to treat/lower ESR.
Tell me in what direction the examination can be carried out in order to establish the cause and then carry out treatment?
The latest, more complete description of the mother’s health status is in the Extract from the First Medical Institute (December 2013).

27.03.2014, 15:17

here is the extract

27.03.2014, 16:18

change the ophthalmologist surgeon to a more sane one - today he finds fault with SOE, tomorrow with untreated caries...
And elevated SOE is NOT curable!

27.03.2014, 20:04

I may have conveyed the ophthalmologist's words incorrectly. He sent my mother to look for the cause of the poor blood test and get treatment.
Or do you think that this is a feature of the body? How then can we force doctors not to pay attention to such values? They regard this as the presence of an inflammatory process. And strong. Even at the sanatorium they told her: we can’t prescribe any procedures for you - your ESR is so bad! Who sent you to the sanatorium anyway?!
And why can there still be such an ESR? Is it useless to look for a reason?..

27.03.2014, 20:15

“How can we force doctors not to pay attention to such values?” - similarly, how to force the traffic police inspector not to give the driver a punishment for expired paracetamol in the first aid kit?

27.03.2014, 20:23

But she developed such meanings before reaching old age...

27.03.2014, 20:27

27.03.2014, 20:28

Why there is an increased SOE in older women and what further examination is required, read here:

Thank you very much, doctor... It is very correct to send me to study specialized medical information on an English-language site

27.03.2014, 20:42

The criticality of finding the cause has arisen now. Due to refusal to undergo eye surgery. Previously, this did not prevent any specialist from carrying out treatment or even surgery (knee replacement last year).

I'm not duplicating my question. I tried to get advice from specialists in eye diseases. Here I asked the hematologists a question. I have one mother and her tests are the same. Sorry

27.03.2014, 21:08

I repeat - this is not your mother’s fault or her SOE, but the vain bias of a particular specialist. It has nothing to do with medicine. Or you change specialist or go to a rheumatologist and get a certificate that your mother has a higher diagnosis. SOE of non-inflammatory origin (the latter is unlikely to help, because there is some other far-fetched reason not to undergo surgery).

28.03.2014, 09:34

What prevented you from taking care of your mother and conducting the necessary face-to-face consultations and additional examinations in accordance with global recommendations??? Please note that some causes of increased ESR cannot be corrected...
And yet, it’s in vain that you duplicate topics on the forum: this will not end well for you...
Why there is an increased SOE in older women and what further examination is required, read here:
[Only registered and activated users can see links]

The advice to change your doctor, undergo additional examination according to international standards and read the American website, I accept with great gratitude.
Of course, we will change the doctor. Only the service region will have to be changed.
In the region where my mother lives, there is only one ophthalmologist in the entire republic.
Neither my mother nor I have the knowledge of English, let alone reading a medical specialization website. The consultation was requested in the RU zone, I have the name of a Russian city in my profile. Please pay attention to this fact.

I strongly do not recommend discussing the actions of the moderator on this forum anymore! Pay a specialist - and he will become both sensitive and attentive...
The moderator is right in everything and does everything he likes (including posting posts and then deleting them). Got it.

I turn to other doctors
If it is still possible for professionals in the field of providing assistance in matters of human health to provide free, attentive attention to requests for consultation within this forum and in the hematology section in particular, I ask for it.
Since the original question remains unsolved for me, I will repeat it again:
Please tell me in what direction/volume the examination can be carried out to establish the cause of the long-term high ESR?
Big request - in Russian!
If such information cannot be obtained for free, then please clarify what kind of advice can be obtained on this forum?

28.03.2014, 09:56

The examination is meaningless; accordingly, there can be no recommendations for its conduct. An increased ESR in itself should not be a basis for refusing surgery. Vadim Valerievich indicated to you two possible options: change the doctor/health care facility or get a “piece of paper” that this increase is “safe”.

28.03.2014, 10:22

Good afternoon
My mother (67 years old) has had an increased ESR (35-52) for more than 10 years, even in a state of remission of chronic diseases. At the same time, her general condition does not cause discomfort during such an analysis. She, of course, has a “bouquet” of diseases, but doctors do not identify any of them as the cause of such a constantly increased value.
Mom’s ESR has been consistently high for many years to this day. Doctors gave up a long time ago - obviously, this is a feature of the body.
A blood test performed in March 2014 showed an ESR of 50.
Mom lives in a republic in the south of the country. the level of medical care corresponding to the subsidized region. But she underwent examinations in the capital’s medical institutions for rheumatoid arthritis: the Institute of Rheumatology of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (2 years ago), the First Medical Institute (December 2013). Everyone also shrugged their shoulders - this ESR has nothing to do with rheumatoid arthritis.
Last year, my mother underwent a planned operation under general anesthesia - knee replacement. Nobody paid attention to the ESR.

At the moment, my mother has been diagnosed with cataracts and is indicated for surgery. The ophthalmologist refuses to perform it due to ESR. I sent him to look for the cause of this ESR and get treatment. only then does he agree to operate.
There is only one surgeon in the entire republic. There is no one else to turn to at your place of residence. Apparently, you will have to go to a specialized clinic in another region. I wouldn’t want to take my mother to another city in vain, so I’m asking for advice.
How critical is such a constantly high ESR for eye surgery for cataracts? or does it depend on the method of operation?

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a nonspecific laboratory blood indicator that reflects the ratio of plasma protein fractions.

A change in the results of this test, more or less from the norm, is an indirect sign of a pathological or inflammatory process in the human body.

Another name for the indicator is “erythrocyte sedimentation reaction” or ESR. The sedimentation reaction occurs in blood, deprived of the ability to clot, under the influence of gravity.

The essence of testing blood for ESR is that red blood cells are the heaviest elements of blood plasma. If you place a test tube with blood vertically for some time, it will separate into fractions - a thick sediment of brown red blood cells at the bottom, and translucent blood plasma with the rest of the blood elements at the top. This separation occurs under the influence of gravity.

Red blood cells have a peculiarity - under certain conditions they “stick” together, forming cell complexes. Since their mass is much greater than the mass of individual red blood cells, they settle to the bottom of the test tube faster. During the inflammatory process occurring in the body, the rate of red blood cell union increases or, conversely, decreases. Accordingly, the ESR increases or decreases.

The accuracy of blood testing depends on the following factors:

Proper preparation for analysis;

Qualifications of the laboratory assistant conducting the research;

Quality of the reagents used.

If all requirements are met, you can be confident in the objectivity of the research result.

Indications for determining ESR are monitoring the appearance and intensity of the inflammatory process in various diseases and their prevention. Deviations from the norm indicate the need for a biochemical blood test to clarify the level of certain proteins. It is impossible to make a specific diagnosis based on ESR testing alone.

The analysis takes from 5 to 10 minutes. Before donating blood to determine ESR, you should not eat for 4 hours. This concludes the preparation for donating blood.

Sequence of capillary blood sampling:

The third or fourth finger of the left hand is wiped with alcohol.

A shallow incision (2-3 mm) is made on the fingertip with a special tool.

Remove any drop of blood that appears with a sterile napkin.

Biomaterial is collected.

Disinfect the puncture site.

Apply a cotton swab soaked in ether to the fingertip and ask to press the finger against the palm to stop the bleeding as quickly as possible.

Sequence of venous blood sampling:

The patient's forearm is tied with a rubber band.

The puncture site is disinfected with alcohol, and a needle is inserted into the vein of the elbow.

Collect the required amount of blood in a test tube.

Remove the needle from the vein.

The puncture site is disinfected with cotton wool and alcohol.

The arm is bent at the elbow until the bleeding stops.

Blood taken for analysis is examined to determine ESR.

The test tube containing the biomaterial with the anticoagulant is placed in a vertical position. After some time, the blood will be divided into fractions - red blood cells will be at the bottom, transparent plasma with a yellowish tint will be at the top.

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate is the distance traveled by them in 1 hour.

ESR depends on plasma density, its viscosity and the radius of red blood cells. The calculation formula is quite complicated.

Procedure for determining ESR according to Panchenkov:

Blood from a finger or vein is placed into a “capillary” (a special glass tube).

Then it is placed on a glass slide and then sent back to the “capillary”.

The tube is placed in a Panchenkov stand.

An hour later, the result is recorded - the size of the plasma column following the red blood cells (mm/hour).

The method of such a study of ESR has been adopted in Russia and in the countries of the post-Soviet space.

ESR analysis methods

There are two methods for laboratory testing of blood for ESR. They have a common feature - before the study, the blood is mixed with an anticoagulant so that the blood does not clot. The methods differ in the type of biomaterial being studied and in the accuracy of the results obtained.

For research using this method, capillary blood taken from the patient’s finger is used. ESR is analyzed using a Panchenkov capillary, which is a thin glass tube with 100 divisions applied to it.

Blood is mixed with an anticoagulant on a special glass in a ratio of 1:4. After this, the biomaterial will no longer coagulate; it is placed in a capillary. After an hour, the height of the blood plasma column separated from the red blood cells is measured. The unit of measurement is millimeter per hour (mm/hour).

Westergren method

A study using this method is the international standard for measuring ESR. To carry it out, a more accurate scale of 200 divisions, graduated in millimeters, is used.

Venous blood is mixed in a test tube with an anticoagulant, and ESR is measured an hour later. The units of measurement are the same – mm/hour.

The gender and age of the subjects influence the ESR values ​​taken as the norm.

In healthy newborns – 1-2 mm/hour. The reasons for deviations from standard indicators are acidosis, hypercholesterolemia, high hematocrit;

in children 1-6 months – 12-17 mm/hour;

in preschool children – 1-8 mm/hour (equal to the ESR of adult men);

For men – no more than 1-10 mm/hour;

In women - 2-15 mm/hour, these values ​​vary depending on the level of androgen; from the 4th month of pregnancy, ESR increases, reaching 55 mm/hour by childbirth, after childbirth it returns to normal within 3 weeks. The reason for the increase in ESR is the increased level of plasma volume in pregnant women and globulins.

An increase in indicators does not always indicate pathology; the reason for this may be:

Use of contraceptives, high molecular weight dextrans;

Fasting, dieting, lack of fluid, leading to the breakdown of tissue proteins. A recent meal has a similar effect, so blood is taken to determine ESR on an empty stomach.

Increased metabolism caused by physical activity.

Changes in ESR depending on age and gender

Acceleration of ESR occurs due to an increase in the level of globulins and fibrinogen. Such a shift in protein content indicates necrosis, malignant transformation of tissue, inflammation and destruction of connective tissue, and immunity disorders. A prolonged increase in ESR above 40 mm/hour requires other hematological studies to determine the cause of the pathology.

Table of ESR norms for women by age

Indicators found in 95% of healthy people are considered the norm in medicine. Since a blood test for ESR is a nonspecific test, its indicators are used in diagnosis together with other tests.

According to the standards of Russian medicine, the normal limits for women are 2-15 mm/hour, abroad – 0-20 mm/hour.

The normal values ​​for a woman fluctuate depending on changes in her body.

Indications for a blood test for ESR in women:

Lack of appetite,

Pain in the neck, shoulders, headache,

Pain in the pelvic organs,

Unreasonable weight loss.

Norm of ESR in pregnant women depending on completeness

ESR in pregnant women depends directly on the level of hemoglobin.

Normal ESR in the blood of children

ESR is higher than normal - what does this mean?

The main reasons that accelerate the erythrocyte sedimentation rate are changes in the composition of the blood and its physicochemical parameters. Plasma proteins agglomerins are responsible for erythrocyte sedimentation.

Reasons for increasing ESR:

Infectious diseases that provoke inflammatory processes are syphilis, tuberculosis, rheumatism, blood poisoning. Based on the ESR results, a conclusion is drawn about the stage of the inflammatory process and the effectiveness of treatment is monitored. With bacterial infections, ESR levels are higher than with diseases caused by viruses.

Endocrine diseases – thyrotoxicosis,.

Rheumatoid polyarthritis.

Pathologies of the liver, intestines, pancreas, kidneys.

Intoxication with lead, arsenic.

Malignant lesions.

Hematological pathologies – anemia, myeloma, lymphogranulomatosis.

Injuries, fractures, conditions after operations.

High cholesterol levels.

Side effects of medications (morphine, Dextran, Methyldorf, vitamin B).

The dynamics of changes in ESR may vary depending on the stage of the disease:

In the initial stage of tuberculosis, the ESR level does not deviate from the norm, but increases as the disease progresses and with complications.

Insufficient fibrinogen levels;

Reactive erythrocytosis;

Chronic circulatory failure;

In men, an ESR below normal is almost impossible to notice. In addition, this indicator is not of great importance for diagnosis. Symptoms of decreased ESR are hyperthermia, fever. They may be harbingers of an infectious disease or inflammatory process, or signs of changes in hematological characteristics.

To normalize ESR laboratory testing, the cause of such changes should be found. Most likely, you will have to undergo a course of treatment prescribed by your doctor, additional laboratory and instrumental studies. An accurate diagnosis and optimal treatment of the disease will help bring ESR levels back to normal. For adults this will take 2-4 weeks, for children – up to one and a half months.

In case of iron deficiency anemia, the ESR reaction will return to normal by consuming enough foods containing iron and protein. If the cause of the deviation from the norm is a passion for dieting, fasting, or physiological conditions such as pregnancy, breastfeeding, menstruation, the ESR will return to normal after the health status returns to normal.

If the ESR level is elevated, natural physiological causes should first be excluded: old age in women and men, menstruation, pregnancy, and the postpartum period in women.

Attention! 5% of the inhabitants of the Earth have a congenital feature - their ROE indicators differ from the norm without any reason or pathological processes.

If there are no physiological reasons, there are the following reasons for increased ESR:

• Inflammatory process,

  Malignant tumors

  Kidney diseases,

  Acute or chronic infections,

  Myocardial infarction,

  Burns, injuries,

  Condition after surgery.

In addition, therapy with estrogen and glucocorticosteroids can affect the erythrocyte sedimentation reaction.

Reasons for decreased erythrocyte sedimentation rate:

Violation of water-salt metabolism;

Progressive muscular dystrophy;

1st and 2nd trimester of pregnancy;

Taking corticosteroids;

Vegetarian diet;

Starvation.

If there is a deviation from the norm, you should consult a doctor to find out the cause of this health condition.

Editorial opinion

The ESR indicator depends not only on physiological processes in the human body, but also on the psychological component. Both negative and positive emotions influence ESR indicators. Severe stress or a nervous breakdown will certainly change the erythrocyte sedimentation reaction. Therefore, on the day of blood donation and the day before it, it is advisable to normalize your psycho-emotional state.

About the doctor: From 2010 to 2016 practicing physician at the therapeutic hospital of the central medical unit No. 21, the city of Elektrostal. Since 2016 he has been working at diagnostic center No. 3.

Asked by: Alexey

Question created: 2015-11-20 18:19:00

Good afternoon

Are high ESR (42) and low hemoglobin (103) a contraindication for cataract surgery (lens replacement in one eye). An elderly man, 78 years old. It is not possible to change blood parameters for a year. The problem may be kidney stones and prostate problems that cannot be cured.

Doctors at the Central District Hospital refuse to perform eye surgery.

Answer from an ophthalmologist

Hello, Alexey.

Indeed, before cataract surgery, the patient undergoes a series of tests (including hemoglobin and ESR), which are first reviewed by the therapist (hereinafter referred to as the operating anesthesiologist) and gives an opinion on the possibility or contraindications for the operation.

In your case, what is more important is a significant increase in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), which is increased, in fact, by 4 times. Which may indicate the presence of an infectious or autoimmune process, oncology, etc., which may not negatively affect the results of the operation. Therefore, doctors refuse to perform cataract surgery.

The hemoglobin level is, of course, also taken into account, but given that the operation is performed under local anesthesia and is bloodless, this indicator is not as important as the first.

You can try contacting other (commercial) clinics, pointing out the specifics of the tests. Perhaps they will make an exception for you (but without any guarantees).