The erythrocyte sedimentation rate is increased - what does this mean and how dangerous is it. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in women and men Why does ESR decrease

The results of a blood test, when the value of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is increased, will frighten the patient, especially in the absence of signs of the disease. Should I be worried? What does this indicator mean and what is its normal value? In order not to panic, it is advisable to navigate this issue.

What is ESR in the blood

This is one of the indicators of blood tests - the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. More recently, there was another name - ROE. It was deciphered as an erythrocyte sedimentation reaction, but the meaning of the study has not changed. The result indirectly shows that there are inflammations or pathologies. Deviation of parameters from the norm requires additional examinations to establish a diagnosis. The index is affected by:

• elevated temperature;
• infections;
• chronic inflammation.

The body is healthy - and all blood components: platelets, leukocytes, erythrocytes and plasma are balanced. With the disease, changes are observed. Erythrocytes - red blood cells - begin to stick to each other. During analysis, they settle down with the formation of a plasma layer from above. The speed at which this process takes place is called ESR - normally, this indicator indicates a healthy body. Assign an analysis to:

• diagnostics;
• clinical examination;
• prevention;
• monitoring the outcome of treatment.

Well, when the ESR is normal. What do its high and low values ​​mean? An increase in the standard - accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation syndrome - indicates the likelihood of:

• purulent inflammation;
• liver diseases;
• metabolic disorders;
• autoimmune pathologies;
• viral, fungal infections;
• oncology;
• hepatitis A;
• bleeding;
• stroke
• tuberculosis;
• heart attack;
• recent injuries;
• high cholesterol;
• period after the operation.

Low values ​​are no less dangerous. The value is 2 units less than what the ESR should be according to the norm - this is a signal to look for a problem. The following reasons can reduce the erythrocyte sedimentation rate:

• poor outflow of bile;
• neuroses;
• hepatitis;
• epilepsy;
• vegetarianism;
• anemia;
• hormone therapy;
• circulatory problems;
• low hemoglobin;
• taking aspirin, calcium chloride;
• starvation.

Not always an increased value of the result of the analysis indicates inflammation or the presence of pathologies. There are situations when ESR is not the norm, but a high or low indicator, but there is no threat to human health. This is typical for such circumstances:

• pregnancy;
• recent fractures;
• condition after childbirth;
• period;
• adherence to a strict diet;
• rich breakfast before tests;
• starvation;
• hormone therapy;
• puberty in a child;
• allergies.

To get reliable readings when deciphering a general blood test, you need to be prepared. This requires:

• exclude alcohol for a day;
• come to the test on an empty stomach;
• stop smoking in an hour;
• stop taking medication;
• eliminate emotional, physical overload;
• do not play sports the day before;
• do not undergo an x-ray;
• stop physical therapy.

ESR according to Westergren

In order to establish whether the ESR norm in the body corresponds to the required parameters, there are two methods of verification. They differ in the method of sampling material, equipment for research. The essence of the process is the same, you need:

• take blood;
• add anticoagulant;
• stand an hour vertically on a special device;
• according to the height of the plasma in millimeters above the settled erythrocytes, evaluate the result.

The Westergren method involves taking blood from a vein. Sodium citrate is added in certain proportions to a test tube with a scale of 200 mm. Install vertically, hold for an hour. In this case, a layer of plasma is formed from above, erythrocytes settle down. There is a clear division between them. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate is the result of measuring in millimeters the difference between the upper border of the plasma and the top of the erythrocyte zone. Total indicator - mm / hour. Under modern conditions, special analyzers are used that determine the parameters in automatic mode.

ESR according to Panchenkov

The research method according to Panchenkov differs by sampling for the analysis of capillary blood. When comparing the indicators with the method of Westergren, the norm of clinical ESR coincides in the area of ​​\u200b\u200busual values. With increasing readings, the Panchenkov method gives lower results. The parameters are defined as follows:

• take a capillary on which 100 divisions are applied;
• take a blood sample from a finger;
• dilute it with sodium citrate;
• make the setting of the capillary vertically for an hour;
• measure the height of the plasma layer above the erythrocytes.

ESR norm in women

With the peculiarities of physiology, the norm of ESR in the blood in women is associated. She is taller than men. Contribute to this hormonal changes during menstruation, pregnancy, puberty, menopause. The increase in indicators is influenced by the use of contraceptives, excess weight. What should be the ESR in women of different ages? The following indicators are accepted - mm / hour:

• up to 15 years - 4-20;
• from 15 to 50 - 2-20;
• from 51 - 2-30.

ESR during pregnancy

For the period of expectation of the child, the ESR indicator is the norm, which is specifically agreed upon. It is increased in comparison with normal values ​​and changes during the period, two weeks before delivery, its growth is possible. ESR in pregnant women also depends on the physique. The following indicators are observed - mm / hour:

• dense constitution - the first half - 8-45, the second part of the term - 30-70;
• thin figure - up to the middle - 21-63, in the next period of time - 20-55.

22273 0

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR or ESR)- This is an indicator that shows the ability of red blood cells to settle in a test tube. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate depends on the content of proteins associated with the inflammatory reaction, fibrinogen and immunoglobulin in the blood.

The erythrocyte sedimentation rate is measured in millimeters per hour (mm / h) - the height of the column, which is formed by erythrocytes settling in a test tube in 1 hour under the influence of gravity. ESR has long been used in medicine as a useful indicator of the presence and intensity of the inflammatory process in the body.

It is not specific to any particular disease—hundreds of diseases and conditions can cause abnormal ESR.

This indicator, for example, can increase both with infection, anemia, and with cancer, and even with the natural aging of a person. In women, the ESR may be slightly higher than in men. An interesting fact is that race also affects the ESR. It is reliably known that in black Africans, ESR should normally be higher than in whites.

The views of doctors from different countries on the normal ESR are not the same, they have undergone significant changes over the past century.

1. Men: ESR = (Age in years)/2
2. Women: ESR = (Age in years + 10)/2

However, further studies have shown both a much lower ESR rate in healthy people, and a much lower dependence of ESR on gender.

A normal ESR indicator for men is considered to be 2-10 mm / h, and for women 3-15 mm / h. At the same time, some large-scale studies revealed slightly higher ESR values ​​in completely healthy people - up to 12-14 in men and up to 18-21 in women.

Possible reasons for the increase in ESR:

1. Oncological diseases:

Lymphoma.
Bowel cancer.
breast cancer etc.

2. Hematological disorders:

Macrocytosis (an increase in the size of red blood cells).
Multiple myeloma (especially if an increase in ESR is combined with osteoporosis - weakening of the bones).
Anemia of various origins (but not iron deficiency anemia per se).

3. Diseases of the connective tissue, in particular:

Systemic lupus erythematosus.
Rheumatoid arthritis.
Systemic sclerosis, etc..

4. Infectious diseases, in particular:

bacterial infections.
Tuberculosis.
Hepatitis etc.

5. Other reasons:

Kidney disease (especially in the presence of azotemia).
Cirrhosis of the liver.
Pregnancy.
Sarcoidosis etc.

Possible reasons for a low ESR:

True or secondary polycythemia.
Sickle cell anemia.
hereditary spherocytosis.
Acanthocytosis (the appearance of red blood cells with numerous outgrowths).
Microcytosis (decrease in the size of red blood cells).
Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).
Extensive necrosis of the liver.
Heart failure.
Cachexia, etc.

Among all laboratory blood tests, the determination of ESR is one of the most common. With an increase in this indicator, patients ask the doctor how to reduce blood ESR.

In fact, an increase in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is not a disease, but only indicates the presence of some kind of pathological process in the body. To reduce ESR, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the cause of its increase.

Reasons for the increase

Most often, ESR deviations from the norm indicate the development of a disease, but in some cases, its increase is associated with natural causes. These include:

• Long-term treatment with certain pharmaceuticals.
• Pregnancy. In this condition, elevated ESR is considered the norm.
• Lack of iron in the body. As a rule, this is observed with poor absorption of iron.
• Age from 4 to 12 years. ESR rises quite often in children of this age group, while they do not have any pathologies and inflammations. It is noted that this feature is most often found in boys.
• Individual characteristics of the organism. According to statistics, in 5% of people it is observed in the absence of any pathological processes.

Pathological causes of changes in the rate of settling include:

• development of rheumatism.
• Systemic lupus erythematosus.
• Glomerulonephritis.
• Pyelonephritis.
• nephrotic syndrome.
• Anemia.
• Tuberculosis.
• Hepatitis.
• Surgical intervention.
• Inflammation of the gallbladder and pancreas.
• Inflammatory processes in the respiratory tract.
• Oncological diseases.

Normal performance

Norms depend on the age and gender of the person. So, for women, the normal erythrocyte sedimentation rate is 3-15 mm / h, and for men - 2-10 mm / h.

Children under the age of 6 months should normally have an ESR of 12 to 17 mm / h. In pregnant women, the norm ranges from 20-25 mm / h, and in people over the age of 60 it is 15-20 mm / h.

According to statistics, 40% of ESR deviations from the norm are the result of infectious diseases, in 23% of cases, cancer is detected in patients with an increase in this indicator, rheumatism is the cause of the deviation in 17%, and in 8% of patients such a deviation causes anemia, bowel disease, pancreas glands, prostatitis, diabetes mellitus.

Methods for reducing ESR

There is only one way to reduce ESR: to cure the disease that caused its increase.

It is by no means recommended to take antibiotics, dietary supplements and anti-inflammatory drugs on your own, since each disease requires an individual approach to treatment. It must be remembered that only a doctor can make a correct diagnosis.

It is necessary to conduct a comprehensive examination of the patient in order to identify the cause of the increase in ESR. After making a diagnosis, the doctor will explain how to lower the ESR in the blood by prescribing the appropriate treatment, and after a few days he will write out a referral for re-analysis. If this figure, albeit slowly, begins to decline, then the prescribed treatment gives a positive result.

Decreased ESR with medications

• If it turns out that anemia has become the cause of the increase in ESR, then first of all it is necessary to increase hemoglobin. To do this, include in the diet foods containing folic acid, vitamin B12 and iron. These foods include green vegetables, lettuce, cereals, beef liver and meat, rabbit meat, veal, shellfish, legumes, nuts, black currants, rose hips, beets, prunes, raisins, etc. To quickly increase hemoglobin and, accordingly, lower ESR, the doctor may prescribe a drug containing the necessary vitamins and minerals to the patient.
• Rheumatism is treated with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antihistamines, corticosteroids, and other drugs. The treatment of rheumatism is long and difficult, therefore, in order to achieve a good result, it is necessary to strictly follow the doctor's instructions, adhere to a diet, and avoid hypothermia.
• To treat the acute course of kidney diseases, pancreas and gallbladder, respiratory tract, antibiotic drugs are used to help destroy the causes of these diseases. In a chronic course, accompanied by an increase in ESR, treatment without the use of antibiotics is possible, pharmacy drugs are often combined with the use of traditional medicine.
• When tuberculosis is detected, it should be borne in mind that this disease is treated for a long time - from 6 months to two years. Often, after recovery from tuberculosis, the ESR does not return to normal for quite a long time. Therefore, it is possible to judge the normalization of this indicator only 4-6 weeks after the person has recovered.
• If the results of the patient's analysis several times in a row show an increase in ESR to 75 mm / h or more, then the doctor may have reason to suspect the presence of a malignant tumor in the body. In oncological diseases, an increase in ESR is due to the decay of a malignant tumor. In this case, the question of how to lower the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in the blood recedes into the background. Intensive treatment is aimed at combating the disease. If a person can be saved, then the level of ESR will decrease by itself over time.

Traditional medicine

It must be remembered that lowering the ESR by folk remedies alone is unacceptable. Some plants have the ability to relieve inflammation, purify the blood and improve its performance. With the help of these plants, the body will quickly cope with the underlying disease, the composition of the blood will improve, so that the rate of sedimentation of red cells can be reduced.

So, how to lower the ESR at home? For this purpose, you can use such traditional medicine as:

• Beet.
• Herbal infusions.
• Lemon juice with garlic.

Beet

This plant is famous for its blood-purifying properties. With an increased ESR, the following medicine is prepared:

1. Two small dark red root crops are thoroughly washed, cleaned, placed in an enamel pan, poured with 3 liters of water and brought to a boil.
2. It is necessary to cook beets until fully cooked, for 2-3 hours (depending on the size of the root crops).
3. Decoction sue and drink in the morning before breakfast, 100-150 ml.

You can also prepare juice from fresh beets or use grated root crops daily with the addition of natural honey.

Honey

This remedy can only be used if there is no allergy to it. For medicinal purposes, every morning use 1 tbsp. a spoonful of honey diluted in a cup of warm tea.

Herbal infusions

To reduce ESR, you can use infusions of chamomile flowers, coltsfoot or linden. To prepare the infusion, take a tablespoon of crushed raw materials and pour 250 ml of boiling water.

You can use the resulting remedy after 30-40 minutes, when it is well infused, and the water will reveal the healing properties of herbs. To increase the effect, it is recommended to drink herbal infusions with the addition of honey.

Lemon juice with garlic

A good effect can be achieved with a mixture of lemon juice and garlic. To prepare it, you should take 2 large heads of garlic and 2-3 lemons. Garlic must be peeled and chopped, and juice should be squeezed out of lemons.

Combine the juice with garlic gruel, mix thoroughly and put the resulting product in the refrigerator. It must be consumed 2 times a day after meals..

People who are thinking about how to lower the ESR with folk remedies should not forget about a healthy lifestyle. Walking in the fresh air and breathing exercises help to improve the functioning of the lungs and, accordingly, increase the amount of oxygen in them and normalize the erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

Proper and nutritious nutrition, regular preventive examinations and timely treatment of diseases will help maintain normal health and, accordingly, blood counts.

Lower ESR in the blood it is possible, both medically and at home, with folk remedies. Medical intervention is not always appropriate, because it certainly cannot be called useful. Here we have no right to advise, because everything is prescribed only individually and only by a doctor. This indicator of ESR will fall by itself, if the underlying disease is properly treated.

As for the non-traditional treatment of ESR, it is most often aimed at restoring the immune system and cleansing the blood after the patient is cured.

The settling of erythrocytes in the blood is accelerated due to the active production of antibodies that occurs during diseases and for some time after them. General immunity drops sharply, and it is worth starting treatment with its restoration. Cleansing and rejuvenation of the same blood will be required for a complete recovery in general.

Is it necessary to reduce the ESR

It is impossible to diagnose yourself only on the ESR readings in the tests, whether the patient has an increased or decreased ESR. It is important to approach this comprehensively, to analyze the state of the whole organism as a whole, the presence of chronic diseases, past illnesses ... The doctor may prescribe a general diagnosis of the whole organism:

• Direction to blood chemistry
• Checking with a cardiologist, ESR deviates from the norm if myocardial infarction is suspected
• Check for infections and inflammation in the body
• ESR in oncology

When the cause of an increased or decreased ESR is identified, the stage of the disease is determined, only then treatment is prescribed and the result of therapy is observed.

Dark chocolate and citrus fruits reduce ESR

If you wondered how to lower the ESR, then to normalize the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in the blood, decoctions of such medicinal herbs of an anti-inflammatory nature, for example, a decoction of chamomile, linden, are useful. As well as hot drinks, for example, tea with raspberries, honey and lemon.

In addition, your diet should be rich in fiber and protein foods of natural origin.

Eliminate semi-finished products, products containing carcinogens.

Useful will be such products that effectively reduce ESR in the blood:

• black chocolate,
• citrus,
• fresh vegetables,
• especially red beets.

It is with their help that you can quickly and without harm normalize sedimentation rate of erythrocytes in the blood and at the same time purify the blood.

How to reduce ESR medication

To lower the level of ESR can take some medications for a while:

• calcium chloride,
• drugs that contain mercury
• salicylates (salicylic acid, aspirin).
• Side effects of morphine, dextran, methyldorf, B vitamins).

With anemia, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate will decrease if hemoglobin is increased.

With significant deviations from the norm of hemoglobin (iron-containing protein), the following is prescribed:

• folic acid,
• "Hemodin",
• "Totem",
• "Irovit",
• "Maltofer".

Tuberculosis and ESR

When tuberculosis is detected, it will not be possible to quickly lower the ESR in the blood. The disease is considered severe and has a long therapeutic course.

In order to avoid addiction, the drugs are alternated, so their list is quite large.

The most effective in this case are:

• "Isoniazid"
• "Pyrazinamide"
• "Rifampicin"
• "Ethambutol".

chronic diseases

If a person has a chronic disease that is not completely treated, such as hepatitis C, they often have an elevated ESR. Patients need to constantly adjust the course of medications prescribed by the doctor.

It should be noted that modern medicine, with timely treatment started, has increased the cure rate for hepatitis C to 95%.

Attention!

Very often, the disease proceeds secretly and without symptoms, and after a while it can develop into cirrhosis of the liver. It is important to know how hepatitis C is transmitted and diagnosed, as the virus is very stable in the external environment!

If you have diabetes, regularly check your glucose levels, if it rises, you should discuss with your doctor a possible replacement of drugs that reduce blood sugar.

The patient must be examined comprehensively, because the ESR is not a diagnostic parameter for the sake of a specific disease.

In addition, the doctor can advise methods by which it is quite possible to remove the painful process and thereby reduce the ESR.

Therapy with drugs is intended mainly for the treatment of the underlying disease.

FROM lower erythrocyte sedimentation rate with medication without treatment of the underlying disease, it will not work, for example, if the norm of hormones is deviated, it means that the normalization of the hormonal photon will “automatically” bring the ESR back to normal.

Such an algorithm is the leading one, more generally combined with others.

The fact is that if you lower only the ESR of the blood with special drugs, then the load on the immune system will only increase, and after the end of treatment, there may be an acute decrease in the indicator compared to the norm.

It is very important to understand that the treatment of elevated ESR cannot give a quick result, especially if the indicator is an order of magnitude higher than the ESR norm.

In a very high ESR, even a slow decrease in ESR indicates the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment.

With a low ESR, the activity of the heart and blood vessels can be disrupted. Thus, before lowering the ESR, you need to recognize the real cause of the disease and cure it.

Video: Increased soe and reactive protein

High ESR in a child

For children, an increased ESR can be observed from time to time, which is not a pathology and parents should not be very worried. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate may deviate in a child with an unbalanced diet, teething, lack of vitamins.

Parents should pay attention to the general condition of the child, if he is weak, passive, has poor appetite and has a high ESR, then it would be useful to contact a pediatrician to make a diagnosis and identify the cause of the increased ESR in the child's blood.

How to reduce ESR in traditional medicine

In folk medicine, it is possible to reduce the erythrocyte sedimentation rate if it is not associated with the acute phases of diseases where there is a threat to the life of the patient.

In case of emergency, you should immediately consult a doctor. Well helps - it's beetroot broth.

Practice-tested beetroot recipe

Thoroughly wash three pieces. small beets, without cutting off the tails and boil for 3 hours, and the water in which they were boiled to drink and filter fifty grams in the morning on an empty stomach without getting out of bed (the dose can be put and poured near the bed in the evening).

This is extremely important, then lie down for ten to twenty minutes. Save the rest of the broth in the refrigerator. To avoid souring the broth, cook three fresh beets after three to four days.

A course of treatment.

Seven days, then seven days of rest and another seven days of drinking.

With this treatment, the ESR is 67, after treatment it becomes 34, and then gradually decreases to normal.

Then make sure to repeat the blood test. You can additionally take the juice itself from the squeezed and boiled beets. This juice is very useful for improving blood composition and for anemia.

This method helps to significantly reduce the ESR if it is elevated. Well helps with high ESR citrus juice with honey.

Honey

This remedy can only be used if there is no allergy to it. For medicinal purposes, every morning use 1 tbsp. a spoonful of honey diluted in a cup of warm tea.

Herbal infusions

To reduce ESR, you can use infusions of chamomile flowers, coltsfoot or linden. To prepare the infusion, take a tablespoon of crushed raw materials and pour 250 ml of boiling water.

You can use the resulting remedy after 30-40 minutes, when it is well infused, and the water will reveal the healing properties of herbs. To increase the effect, it is recommended to drink herbal infusions with the addition of honey.

Lemon juice with garlic

A good effect can be achieved with a mixture of lemon juice and garlic. To prepare it, you should take 2 large heads of garlic and 2-3 lemons. Garlic must be peeled and chopped, and juice should be squeezed out of lemons.

Combine the juice with garlic gruel, mix thoroughly and put the resulting product in the refrigerator.

It must be consumed 2 times a day after meals..

To lower ESR, it is enough to lead a healthy lifestyle

People who are thinking about how to lower the ESR with folk remedies should not forget about a healthy lifestyle.

Walking in the fresh air and breathing exercises help to improve the functioning of the lungs and, accordingly, increase the amount of oxygen in them and normalize the erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

Proper and nutritious nutrition, regular preventive examinations and timely treatment of diseases will help maintain normal health and, accordingly, blood counts.

Interesting fact! Vegetarians have a slightly reduced ESR level in the blood.

Video: ESR decreased from 40 to 10 without drugs

That is, the decomposition of blood into balls: the upper one is a colorless bioplasma, and the lower one is erythrocytes. The ESR is calculated from the height reached by the plasma ball in one hour. At the given time, the erythrocytes should settle to the bottom of the laboratory container. This is due to the difference in the specific gravity of the ingredients. Numerous factors affect the ESR in the blood, the main ones being the age and gender of a person. If you hear: reduced ESR in the blood, then the indicator is below generally accepted standards.

Norm

For example, in newborns, the level is about 2 mm / h, after two years the ESR increases to 4–17 mm / h. The level of androgynous steroids in women is higher than in the "stronger sex", respectively: an indicator for a woman (up to 12 mm / hour), (up to 8 mm / hour). For people over 60 years old, the ESR blood rate is calculated from the average values ​​(12-20 mm / hour) for women and (8-15 mm / hour) for men.

downgrade

Many people ask the question: reduced ESR in the blood, what does it mean, let's try to figure it out. Erythrocytes, settling at a certain rate, determine the ability to connect. This process of decreasing the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is called aggregation. It depends on the quantity and electromagnetic properties of the erythrocytes themselves. In a normal organism, they are negatively charged, which determines self-repulsion. If it increases, then ESR decreases and vice versa.

The reasons

To understand the full significance and informativeness of data on the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in patients' blood tests, it is necessary to determine the reasons for the decrease in ESR in the blood.

The grounds for a low ESR in the blood can be:

• increase in numbers;
• build-up of bile pigments and its acids in the blood;
• decrease in the blood pH level (development of acidosis);
• an increase in the number of red blood cells in the blood;
• with mutagenic changes in erythrocytes.

In adults

Having studied the prerequisites, cases of changes in certain data in case of diseases or deviations from the norm become completely obvious.

A decrease in ESR in the body can be a consequence of:

• erythrocytosis or erythremia;
• sickle cell anemia;
• anisocytosis;
• hemoglobinopathies;
• hypofibrinogenemia;
• hypofibrinogenemia, hyperalbuminemia or hypoglobulinemia;
• neurosis and epilepsy.

In addition, the drop in ESR in the blood is affected by the effects of certain medications. In particular, calcium chloride, "mercury" drugs and salicylates. Moreover, a drop in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is considered a good indicator. Based on these test results, the doctor can prescribe an effective treatment.

Decreased in a child

Below the generally accepted norm, it is noted at times less often than overestimated. In most cases, this indicates a malfunction in the baby's circulatory system (liquefaction and low). Moreover, the number of erythrocytes is growing, but the quality of their interaction with each other is falling. A low ESR in the blood of children may indicate recent "blows" on the body: dehydration, exhaustion, poisoning in some cases - viral hepatitis. In addition, low ESR in children is a sign of heart disease.

But, despite all the horrors of the foregoing, it must be borne in mind that reduced ESR in the blood is not yet an illness. A number of other tests are needed to identify the problem.