If you need to know which are the ESR reference rates or you require more information about ESR in a blood test, you can visit normal ESR rate in a blood test
The ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate) is the rate at which erythrocytes settle out of anticoagulated blood in 1 hour.
A high ESR rate is not specific as a general screening test because it may occur in many diseases. A high ESR rate should be studied along other blood tests to give a clue about the possible diagnosis.
A pathologic reason for an increased ESR rate is usually an inflammation, an infection or a tissue injury. An increased ESR rate is also common is some types of cancer (lymphoma, multiple myeloma) or in autoimmune diseases (lupus, arthritis).
The ESR should not be used to screen asymptomatic patients for disease because many times the reason for a high ESR in not clear.
When there are symptom related it might be useful to diagnose the following diseases:
In pregnant women or in elderly people ESR normal rates are higher than normal.
A mild ESR increase is not usually a matter for concern. The most common causes are anemia, inflammation or bacterial infection.
If you do not have any related symptoms, you should not be worried about it. It is probable that ESR rate will return to normal range in future blood tests.
Normal ESR rates are higher in people over 50 years old. Rates up to 20mm/h in men and 30 mm/h are considered in the normal range.
A moderate ESR increase may be due to several reasons such as an infection, an autoimmune disease (arthritis), a kidney disorder or various types of cancer. ESR is not very high, but a visit to your doctor is recommended.
If you are over 50 years old and suffer pain or stiffness in more than one joint, it may be due to rheumatoid arthritis or polymyalgia rheumatica. Discuss both possibilities with your doctor.
The ESR may be very high (up to 60 mm/hr) in apparently healthy women aged 70 to 89 years.
A severe ESR increase is a matter of concern. You should visit your doctor to study the possible causes and get a diagnosis.
The most common causes are:
For ESR rates greater than 100 mm (in the nonpregnant client, of course), the most likely causes are in this order infections, malignant tumors, or autoimmune diseases.
If you are over 50 years old and have headaches and vision problems, it may be due to a disease called temporal arteritis.
There are some health circumstances or drugs than can raise your ESR rate in a blood test:
The most common diseases why the ESR rate can be higher than normal are:
The only way to lower the ESR rate is trying to reduce the inflammatory or infectious process that is causing it.
ESR rate is only an indirect parameter and high rates suggest possible underlying diseases, but do not cause any symptoms by itself.
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The following rates are considered to be above the normal range:
IMPORTANT: These rates are expressed in mm/h (millimeter/hour). They are an example of a healthy man of about 40 years old with no known disease and not taking any medication. The rates can be different depending on the laboratory or on your personal circumstances.
ESR | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mild ESR increase | |||||||
| 16 mm/h | 17 mm/h | 18 mm/h | 19 mm/h | 20 mm/h | 21 mm/h | 22 mm/h | 23 mm/h |
| 24 mm/h | 25 mm/h | 26 mm/h | 27 mm/h | 28 mm/h | 29 mm/h | 30 mm/h | 31 mm/h |
| 32 mm/h | 33 mm/h | 34 mm/h | 35 mm/h | 36 mm/h | 37 mm/h | 38 mm/h | 39 mm/h |
| 40 mm/h | 41 mm/h | 42 mm/h | 43 mm/h | 44 mm/h | 45 mm/h | 46 mm/h | 47 mm/h |
| 48 mm/h | 49 mm/h | 50 mm/h | |||||
| Moderate ESR increase | |||||||
| 51 mm/h | 52 mm/h | 53 mm/h | 54 mm/h | 55 mm/h | 56 mm/h | 57 mm/h | 58 mm/h |
| 59 mm/h | 60 mm/h | 61 mm/h | 62 mm/h | 63 mm/h | 64 mm/h | 65 mm/h | 66 mm/h |
| 67 mm/h | 68 mm/h | 69 mm/h | 70 mm/h | 71 mm/h | 72 mm/h | 73 mm/h | 74 mm/h |
| 75 mm/h | 76 mm/h | 77 mm/h | 78 mm/h | 79 mm/h | 80 mm/h | 81 mm/h | 82 mm/h |
| 83 mm/h | 84 mm/h | 85 mm/h | 86 mm/h | 87 mm/h | 88 mm/h | 89 mm/h | 90 mm/h |
| 91 mm/h | 92 mm/h | 93 mm/h | 94 mm/h | 95 mm/h | 96 mm/h | 97 mm/h | 98 mm/h |
| 99 mm/h | 100 mm/h | ||||||
| Severe ESR increase | |||||||
| 101 mm/h | 102 mm/h | 103 mm/h | 104 mm/h | 105 mm/h | 106 mm/h | 107 mm/h | 108 mm/h |
| 109 mm/h | 110 mm/h | 111 mm/h | 112 mm/h | 113 mm/h | 114 mm/h | 115 mm/h | 116 mm/h |
| 117 mm/h | 118 mm/h | 119 mm/h | 120 mm/h | 121 mm/h | 122 mm/h | 123 mm/h | 124 mm/h |
| 125 mm/h | 126 mm/h | 127 mm/h | 128 mm/h | 129 mm/h | 130 mm/h | 131 mm/h | 132 mm/h |
| 133 mm/h | 134 mm/h | 135 mm/h | 136 mm/h | 137 mm/h | 138 mm/h | 139 mm/h | 140 mm/h |
| 141 mm/h | 142 mm/h | 143 mm/h | 144 mm/h | 145 mm/h | 146 mm/h | 147 mm/h | 148 mm/h |
| 149 mm/h | 150 mm/h | 151 mm/h | 152 mm/h | 153 mm/h | 154 mm/h | 155 mm/h | 156 mm/h |
| 157 mm/h | 158 mm/h | 159 mm/h | 160 mm/h | 161 mm/h | 162 mm/h | 163 mm/h | 164 mm/h |
| 165 mm/h | 166 mm/h | 167 mm/h | 168 mm/h | 169 mm/h | 170 mm/h | 171 mm/h | 172 mm/h |
| 173 mm/h | 174 mm/h | 175 mm/h | 176 mm/h | 177 mm/h | 178 mm/h | 179 mm/h | 180 mm/h |
| 181 mm/h | 182 mm/h | 183 mm/h | 184 mm/h | 185 mm/h | 186 mm/h | 187 mm/h | 188 mm/h |
| 189 mm/h | 190 mm/h | 191 mm/h | 192 mm/h | 193 mm/h | 194 mm/h | 195 mm/h | 196 mm/h |
| 197 mm/h | 198 mm/h | 199 mm/h | 200 mm/h | ||||
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