ESR is one of the indicators in the clinical analysis of blood. When evaluating the results of the study, the doctor pays special attention to him. Increased values of white blood cells and erythrocyte sedimentation rate always mean one thing - a person is sick. The question immediately arises: how to lower the ESR in the blood and will it contribute to recovery? To answer, first you need to understand what the indicator means, what are its normal values and what is its role in the diagnosis.
What is ESR: determination methods
ESR - an analysis that determines the rate of separation of blood into plasma and red blood cells. The indicator is displayed in millimeters of plasma deposited over red blood cells in an hour.
The degree of crowding of the blood plates indicates the presence of an inflammatory process. The analysis refers to studies that have little specificity - a reduced ESR in the blood does not indicate that there is no inflammatory process.
There are a number of methods for determining the indicator, but two of them are used: according to Panchenkov and the method of capillary photometry. In the Pachenkov method, uncoagulated blood is interfered with in a vertically located capillary pipette having a scale of 100 mm, and after one hour, settled red blood cells are counted.
Capillary photometry - analysis with TEST1 automated analyzers. At the beginning of the test, samples are mixed to disaggregate red blood cells. The analyzer measures the movement of red blood cell aggregation. The method is similar to the Westergren method, which is considered a model for determining ESR and has the same reference values.
Blood for analysis is taken from a vein by puncture or from the phalanx of the finger. The analysis execution time for all methods does not exceed one business day.
The rate of ESR in the blood
Various physiological factors influence the ESR index. To reduce the rate of sedimentation leads to smoking, insufficient fluid intake for the body. The simplest answer to the question of how to lower ESR in the blood is to drink less water. But these are not all the factors that influence the test results. Of great importance are age and gender. The less red blood cells in the blood, the higher the sedimentation rate - in women, the normal ESR is slightly higher than in men. This is due to the fact that the blood of women is renewed more often, the level of red blood cells is lower than that of men, red blood cells settle faster.
ESR is measured in mm / h, its normal values are indicated taking into account age and gender:
- Children from 0 to 7 days of life - no more than 1.
- From a week to 6 months - 2-5.
- From six months to a year - 4-10.
- 1 year - 10 years - 4-12.
- 11-18 years old - 2-12.
- Men up to 50 years old - 2-15.
- Women up to 50 - 2-20.
- Men over 50 - 2-20.
- In women older than 50 years, the norm is 2-30.
ESR rate in women
Normal values of indicators differ depending on gender. This is due to physiological characteristics. Before you learn how to lower ESR in the blood of women, you need to understand the norms of indicators:
- In girls under 17 years old, the norm is 4-11 mm / h.
- From 17 to 30 years old - 2-15.
- From 30 to 50 years old - 2-20.
- The ESR rate for a woman older than 50 years is indicated above.
Other factors also influence the indicator. One of the main is the menstrual cycle. Its absence is usually due to pregnancy or menopause. These periods are associated with serious hormonal changes that affect the composition of all body fluids. During pregnancy, in the first trimester, a low ESR in the blood of women (up to 13 mm / h) is considered normal, and in the third, on the contrary, increased (up to 45 mm / h).
The change is influenced by nutrition - girls like to sit on different diets. Build also has an effect on ESR. Many women after childbirth stop monitoring themselves, being overweight is associated with high cholesterol. Its high level helps to increase the erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
As evidenced by increased ESR
An increase in the level of acute phase pathological proteins promotes the aggregation of red blood cells. Their subsidence is faster, the value of ESR increases. Reasons for the increase:
- Infectious diseases, often bacterial etiology.
- Connective tissue diseases.
- Gastrointestinal diseases.
- Oncology.
- Pathology of the cardiovascular system.
- Disorders of the liver and kidneys.
- Recently suffered injuries with great blood loss.
- Ingestion of toxins.
- Abnormally increased fluid intake.
Low ESR
Not always with a disease, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is increased. Reduced ESR in the blood of a child or adult is a consequence of certain disorders in the body:
- Increased blood viscosity.
- High rates of bilirubin.
- A decrease in pH in the acid-base balance of the body (acidosis).
These violations occur during the formation of certain pathologies.
- Atherosclerosis.
- Varicose veins.
- Hypertension
- Gastrointestinal diseases.
- Hepatitis.
- Pathology of the kidneys.
- Diabetes.
Why does ESR increase in a child
Deviation from the norm upward in ESR indicators in children in most cases is associated with the development of inflammation. But there are other factors:
- Metabolic changes (not always associated with pathology).
- Mental stress, stress.
- Autoimmune disease.
- Helminthiasis.
- Allergy.
In very young children, an increase in ESR may be associated with teething. In puberty, abnormal indicators are influenced by natural physiological changes.
Parents better not think about how to lower ESR in the blood of the baby, but about how to eliminate the cause. At the first symptoms of inflammation, you should consult a pediatrician.
Reduction methods
The erythrocyte sedimentation rate is normal in the absence of disease. There are several methods for lowering ESR in the blood, or rather reducing inflammation. Usually, the analysis is prescribed by a doctor, and he also carries out the treatment. It is extremely undesirable to take medications on your own, as improperly selected drug therapy can aggravate the situation.
Alternative recipes can be used independently, but not abused, and only after consultation with the doctor.
How to lower ESR with drugs
The results of the tests are affected by the administration of drugs. Usually, the doctor discusses with the patient the need to discontinue the medication before undergoing examination, since when they are used, the test may show a reduced ESR in the blood of men and women.
The analysis gives information about the presence of an inflammatory process in the body. It is used to monitor infectious, autoimmune, oncological diseases and the complex pathological process. In order to lower ESR, it is necessary to eliminate the cause that contributes to its increase.
With anemia, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate decreases if hemoglobin is increased. With significant deviations from the norm of iron-containing protein, folic acid, Hemodin, Totem, Irovit, Maltofer are prescribed.
If 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 not get used to it, the drugs alternate, therefore their list is quite large. The most effective are "Isoniazid", "Pyrazinamide", "Rifampicin", "Ethambutol".
If a person has a chronic disease that is not completely treated, such as hepatitis C, it is necessary to constantly adjust the course of medications prescribed by the doctor. In diabetes mellitus, regularly check the level of glucose, if its indicators are rising, you should discuss with your doctor the possible replacement of drugs that reduce blood sugar.
ESR reduction folk remedies
The use of alternative methods is permissible only after consulting a doctor. You can lower ESR in the blood at home with the help of herbs, vegetables, fruits, which contribute to the purification of blood:
- Herbs. An increased indicator in the analysis indicates an inflammatory process in the body. Pathogens affect its occurrence. The most common pathogens are staphylococcus, streptococcus, candida. Tea and infusions of chamomile, calendula, nettle effectively help from them. In addition, these plants rarely cause an allergic reaction, so you can brew and drink them as a preventive measure.
- Garlic with lemon juice is also an effective remedy against pathogenic bacteria. Recipe: Peel and chop 2 heads of garlic through a meat grinder. Pour the resulting slurry completely with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Mix everything well and put it in the refrigerator, take a teaspoon 2 times a day (preferably morning-evening), after eating. This recipe is not recommended for people with hepatitis and gastric ulcer. This is due to the organic sulfides contained in garlic.
- Boiled beets. The root crop contains a large number of useful nutrients: B vitamins, retinol, ascorbic acid, iron and others. But potassium is of particular value. This substance plays a huge role in the water-salt balance of the body. Beets can be boiled and consumed as an independent dish or to prepare salads, the ingredient of which it will be.
In women, a reduced ESR in the blood can be a sign of a natural physiological process, so you should not get carried away with traditional medicine.
The erythrocyte sedimentation rate is one of the indicators in the general blood test. The presence or absence of the inflammatory process is determined by analyzing all values. ESR increases due to the occurrence of a pathological condition, therefore, when the disease is eliminated, the indicator will be normal.