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What Is Sediment Rate And How Can It Be Lowered?

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Posted on Wed, 16 Jul 2014
Question: What is sediment rate? How can it be lowered?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Rovena (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
High ESR indicates an inflammatory process.

Detailed Answer:
Hello!
I read carefully your query and understand your concerns.

The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a nonspecific test that it is used to help detect conditions associated with acute and chronic inflammation, including infections, cancers, and autoimmune diseases.
So an elevated ESR indicates that somewhere in your body is happening an inflammatory process.

The normal range of ESR for your age is less than 20 mm/hr.
A higher level of ESR indicates that you might have an inflammatory disease or an infection in your body.
If we relate this finding with your symptoms ,it might help to understand the nature of the condition(infection,inflammation etc).

The ESR level can be lowered by treating the disease that is causing this.Once treated it,ESR level will be back in normal range.

If you write more about your symptoms and the reason why you run this test,I will try to help you more.

Hope my answer has helped.
If you have any further question,please feel free to write,I will be happy to help.

Wish you good health.

Dr.Rovena Murati

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Rovena (7 minutes later)
He was diagnosed with wegeners disese in 1985. The doctor does this to tell if the wegeners is acting up. We don't know much about the disease except it attacks the body organs. And until 1979 there was no cure. It has been in remission. Maybe it is acting up again.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Rovena (48 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
He need some additional tests.

Detailed Answer:
Hello again!

In this case ESR is elevated due to inflammatory process in this disease.
It serves like a indicator to evaluate the activity of the disease.

Wegener's granulomatosis is a rare form of vasculitis,which is inflammation of small blood vessels in the body.
It is thought to be an autoimmune inflammatory process affecting endothelial cells (when the immune system attack different components of the body because it doesn't recognize them as part of the body and produce antibodies to fight them).
It is a multisystem disease which can affect many parts of the body.
The classic triad of organ system involvement includes the kidney, upper respiratory tract (ear,nose,throat), and lower respiratory tract involvement.

Symptoms of arthralgia, fever, cough, and nasal complaints (drainage, bleeding, sinus pain) are the most common presenting complaints.

Your doctor may order some tests in order to evaluate the disease activity including:
-ESR
-Complete blood count (RBC count)
-Urinalysis
-Chest or sinus X-rays

If ESR is elevated, RBC is low (anemia),lung abnormalities in chest X-ray and if he have symptoms indicate that the disease is active and his treating doctor may consider to start a treatment.

The treatment consist in using drugs that suppress the immune system including:
-Corticosteroid medicines (Prednisone)
-Cyclophosphamid
-Methotrexate
-Azathioprine etc

These drugs can control the disease but there are no cures for this disease.

His treating doctor need to do further investigations except ESR to judge if the disease is active again and then start a treatment.

Hope it helps.
Let me know if you have additional questions.

Regards.

Dr.Rovena Murati
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Rovena (11 minutes later)
Thank you. Now. I know what to ask for .
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Rovena (2 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
You are welcome!

Detailed Answer:
Hello again!

It was my pleasure.
Wish you and your husband all the best.

Take care
Dr.Rovena
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Dr. Rovena

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2013

Answered : 1243 Questions

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What Is Sediment Rate And How Can It Be Lowered?

Brief Answer: High ESR indicates an inflammatory process. Detailed Answer: Hello! I read carefully your query and understand your concerns. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a nonspecific test that it is used to help detect conditions associated with acute and chronic inflammation, including infections, cancers, and autoimmune diseases. So an elevated ESR indicates that somewhere in your body is happening an inflammatory process. The normal range of ESR for your age is less than 20 mm/hr. A higher level of ESR indicates that you might have an inflammatory disease or an infection in your body. If we relate this finding with your symptoms ,it might help to understand the nature of the condition(infection,inflammation etc). The ESR level can be lowered by treating the disease that is causing this.Once treated it,ESR level will be back in normal range. If you write more about your symptoms and the reason why you run this test,I will try to help you more. Hope my answer has helped. If you have any further question,please feel free to write,I will be happy to help. Wish you good health. Dr.Rovena Murati