What are the effects of increased erythrocyte sedimentation?

Increased rate of erythrocyte sedimentation (ESR) refers to the fact that erythrocytes or red blood cells drop rapidly when blood is placed in a tube. ESR is a blood or hematology test that measures the speed at which red blood cells fall to the bottom of the tubes in an hourly period. Increased rate of erythrocyte sedimentation may indicate the presence of inflammation in the body and the test is performed in combination with other diagnostic tests to detect some inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. Role in the functioning of the body. The red blood cells are relatively heavy, so when the blood sample is placed in a tube, they tend to slowly drop to the bottom. In the case of an increased rate of erythrocyte sedimentation, this rate of sedimentation is faster than expected.

The reason for the increased rate of erythrocyte sedimentation is that when inflammation occurs, the body produces specific proteins that cause faster blood cells, erytRocytes, clustering them to make them heavier and cause them to drop the tubes faster. When a doctor orders ESR, no preparation is required and it is a simple blood test. Due to their non -specificity, other tests are usually necessary for definitive diagnosis.

While the increased rate of erythrocyte sedimentation does not necessarily have effects in itself, it may indicate a basic disorder such as polymyalgic reumatis, time arteritis or multiple myeloma. ESR can also be used to monitor the reaction of some of these inflammatory conditions to treatment, so it can be repeated regularly during such treatment. The measurement is performed in millimeters per hour (mm/h) and is expected to differ slightly in men and women.

ESR may affect a number of other factors, all of whom will be considered by a hematologist and a physician. These include pregnancy, anemia, age, the use of some drugs and infection. For this reason, the ESR is also not considered to be a diagnostic test itself and the diagnosis is made using ESR VCombination with complete examination and other diagnostic tests. They may include complete blood count and measurement of C-reactive protein, which is another indicator of inflammation.