Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Fight Inflammation and Lower ESR with Diet and Exercise
• Method 2 of 3: What does a high ESR mean?
• Method 3 of 3: How to get tested for ESR
• Tips

ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) is a blood indicator that may indicate inflammatory processes in the body. This test, also called erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), measures the rate at which red blood cells settle to the bottom of a very thin tube. If your ESR is moderately high, your body is likely to have an inflammatory process that requires treatment. Diet and exercise can help control inflammation. In addition, it is necessary to consult a doctor, since the increase in ESR can be caused by other reasons. The doctor may prescribe several tests for ESR to track the dynamics of the process.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Fight Inflammation and Lower ESR with Diet and Exercise

1. 1 Get regular vigorous exercise whenever possible. Intense exercise involves quite significant physical activity. These exercises must be difficult to perform and are accompanied by increased sweating and increased heart rate. You need to train intensively at least three times a week for 30 minutes. This type of exercise has been shown to significantly reduce inflammation.
   • Examples of vigorous exercise include running or brisk cycling, athletic swimming, dance aerobics, and uphill walking.
2. 2 Moderate exercise can be used as an alternative. If you have never played sports before or if you are not allowed to exercise intensively for medical reasons, moderate 30-minute exercises will do. Any daily physical activity, no matter how small, can help reduce inflammation. Load yourself until you feel that it is difficult for you, but this is not the limit of your capabilities.
   • Take a brisk walk around the house or sign up for a water aerobics class.
3. 3 Do yoga nidra every day for 30 minutes. Yoga nidra is a type of yoga aimed at achieving an intermediate state between sleep and wakefulness. This helps to achieve complete physical and mental relaxation. There is at least one study that proves yoga nidra can help reduce ESR. How to practice yoga nidra:
   • Lie on your back on a rug or other level, comfortable surface.
   • Listen to the instructor's voice (if you have not found any yoga studio nearby where yoga nidra is taught, you can download a special application or find a suitable audio recording or video).
   • Inhale and exhale should be natural, effortless.
   • Try not to move during the exercise.
   • Allow your thoughts to flow smoothly without focusing on anything. Maintain awareness without concentration.
   • Your goal is to achieve a state of semi-sleep while maintaining awareness.
4. 4 Avoid processed foods that are high in sugar. They contain "bad" LDL cholesterol, which promotes inflammatory reactions in the body and increases ESR. For example, try to eliminate fries and other fried foods, white bread, baked goods, red meat and processed meats, and margarine and cooking oil from your diet.
5. 5 Include more fruits, vegetables, nuts, and healthy vegetable oils in your diet. All of this is the basis of a healthy diet, along with lean poultry and fish. Certain types of fruits, vegetables, and vegetable oils are especially helpful in fighting inflammation; they are recommended to be eaten several times a week. This includes:
   • tomatoes;
   • strawberries, blueberries, cherries, oranges;
   • green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, and kale;
   • almonds, walnuts;
   • oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines
   • olive oil.
6. 6 Season your food with: oregano (oregano), red pepper and basil. These are natural anti-inflammatories and should be taken as often as possible. Plus, condiments are a great way to spice up your diet (literally and figuratively)! Ginger, turmeric and white willow bark will also help reduce inflammation and ESR.
   • Search online for recipes that include your favorite condiments.
   • Herbal tea can be made from ginger and white willow bark; use a tea strainer for this.
   • Do not consume willow bark if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
7. 7 Drink plenty of water every day. Dehydration not only contributes to inflammation, but also badly affects the condition of muscles and bones. If you choose to fight inflammation through exercise, dehydration can lead to injury. To prevent this from happening, you need to drink from one to two liters of clean water per day. Your body urgently needs water if you experience any of the following symptoms:
   • intense thirst;
   • tiredness, dizziness, or confusion;
   • rare urination;
   • dark urine.

Method 2 of 3: What does a high ESR mean?

1. 1 To understand what your ESR test result means, consult your doctor. In different laboratories, the upper and lower limits of the norm may be slightly different. When the ESR test is ready, discuss its results with your doctor. The following ESR values ​​are usually considered normal:
   • for men under 50 years old - less than 15 mm / h (millimeters per hour);
   • for men over 50 years old - less than 20 mm / h;
   • for women under 50 years old - less than 20 mm / h;
   • for women over 50 years old - less than 30 mm / h;
   • for newborns - 0-2 mm / h.
   • for children under puberty - 3-13 mm / h.
2. 2 Ask your doctor if your ESR is high or very high. There are a number of conditions in which ESR can be higher than normal: pregnancy, anemia, kidney and thyroid diseases, and some types of cancer (lymphoma, multiple myeloma). A very high ESR rate can indicate lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, as well as any acute infectious disease.
   • In addition, very high ESR levels can be observed in rare autoimmune diseases such as allergic vasculitis, giant cell arteritis, hyperfibrinogenemia, macroglobulinemia, necrotizing vasculitis, and polymyalgia rheumatica.
   • An increase in ESR can be due to an infectious process that can affect various internal organs and tissues, including bones, heart and skin. In addition, a high level of ESR may be associated with a tuberculous process or rheumatic fever.
3. 3 To establish an accurate diagnosis, you will most likely be prescribed additional tests. Since an increase in ESR can be caused by a variety of reasons, your doctor will almost certainly prescribe a number of other tests besides ESR to clarify the diagnosis. While your doctor is deciding which tests to give you, breathe deeply and don't panic. Share your concerns with your doctor, family members, or friends, and ask for support.
   • An ESR test alone is not a diagnosis.
4. 4 Get tested for ESR several times. Since an increase in ESR is often associated with chronic pain or inflammation, your doctor may recommend that you be examined regularly and, during these visits, be tested for ESR each time in order to track the dynamics of the inflammatory process. If the correct treatment strategy is chosen, the inflammation should gradually go away!
5. 5 Treatment for rheumatoid arthritis should include medication and physical therapy. Unfortunately, rheumatoid arthritis cannot be completely cured. However, with symptomatic treatment, remission can be achieved. Your doctor will likely prescribe antirheumatic drugs in combination with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and steroids.
   • Physiotherapy and rehabilitation will help restore and maintain the mobility and flexibility of the joints. The rehabilitation therapist can also teach you how to perform common household movements (such as pouring a glass of water) so that they do not cause severe pain.
6. 6 Lupus attacks should be treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or other medications. Each case of lupus is different, so only a doctor can prescribe the right treatment. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used to relieve pain attacks and to reduce fever, and corticosteroids are used to control inflammation. In addition, your doctor may prescribe antimalarial drugs and immunosuppressants, depending on your symptoms.
7. 7 Treating bone and joint infections usually requires antibiotics and / or surgery. An elevated ESR can indicate a variety of infections, but this test is most accurate in detecting joint and bone infections. These infections are especially difficult to cure, so your doctor will order additional tests to determine the type and source of the infection. Severe cases may require surgery to remove the affected tissue.
8. 8 If you've been diagnosed with cancer, see your oncologist. A very high ESR (more than 100 mm / h) may indicate malignancy or the presence of cells that can damage surrounding tissues and spread cancer. In particular, a significant increase in ESR may be a sign of multiple myeloma, or bone marrow cancer. If other blood, urine, or imaging tests confirm the condition, your oncologist will develop a treatment plan for you.

Method 3 of 3: How to get tested for ESR

1. 1 If you think you need an ESR test, make an appointment with your GP or GP. For pain of unknown origin, a blood test for ESR helps to understand whether the pain is caused by an inflammatory process. If you have a fever for an unknown reason, you are worried about arthritis, muscle pain, or there is a visible focus of inflammation, an ESR test will help your doctor better understand the source and severity of the problem.
   • An ESR test will also help to understand the cause of symptoms such as poor appetite, unexplained weight loss, headaches, neck and shoulder pain.
   • ESR analysis is rarely done separately. Most often, along with an ESR test, a C-reactive protein (CRP) test and a complete blood count are prescribed, which are also used to detect inflammatory processes in the body.
2. 2 If you are taking any medications, be sure to inform your doctor. Some prescription and over-the-counter medications can raise or lower your natural ESR. If you are taking these medications, your doctor may ask you to stop taking them about a week before your ESR test. Do not change medications without consulting your doctor.
   • Drugs such as dextran ("Reopolyglucin"), methyldopa ("Dopegit"), oral contraceptives, penicillamine ("Cuprenil"), procainamide ("Novocainamide"), theophylline ("Teopec") and vitamin A can increase the level of ESR.
3. 3Taking aspirin, cortisone, and quinine can lead to a decrease in ESR.
4. 4 Tell your healthcare professional which hand you want from donate blood. Usually, blood is drawn from the cubital vein. Although this procedure is usually not very painful and does not cause swelling, you may ask for blood to be drawn from your non-dominant hand (for example, your left hand if you are right-handed). The health care provider will select the vein that is most suitable for drawing blood.
   • If the vein is selected correctly, the procedure will take less time.
   • If your healthcare provider cannot find a suitable vein in either arm, they may suggest that you have blood drawn from a vein elsewhere. Quite often, blood is taken from the finger for analysis.
   • If you have previously had problems donating blood from a vein, tell the healthcare professional who will draw your blood. If you feel dizzy or may faint when you donate blood from a vein, you will be placed on a couch so that you do not fall or get hurt during the procedure. If you are not feeling well after donating blood from a vein, it may be better to return home by taxi.
5. 5 Try to relax when donating blood. The health care provider will place an elastic tourniquet on your arm above your elbow and rub the needle with rubbing alcohol. Then a needle will be inserted into your vein and blood will be drawn into a test tube. At the end of the procedure, the healthcare professional will remove the needle and untie the tourniquet. After that, a sterile gauze pad will be placed over the injection site and asked to press down on it.
   • If you are nervous, do not look at your hand when your blood is drawn.
   • You may need to donate more than one blood tube. This is not a cause for concern.
   • You may be given a compression bandage over the injection site to help stop the blood faster after you leave the treatment room. The bandage can be removed after a few hours.
6. 6 Redness or bruising may form at the injection site. In most cases, the injection wound will heal within one to two days, but redness or bruising may develop at the injection site. This is fine. In rare cases, the vein from which the blood was drawn may swell. There is nothing serious about this, but sometimes the swelling is accompanied by unpleasant sensations. On the first day after donating blood, apply ice to the edema, and the next day - a warming compress. A warm compress can be made by placing a damp towel in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. Apply a compress to the swelling area several times a day for 20 minutes.
   • Check the temperature of the towel by swiping your hand over it. If the steam that rises above the towel is too hot and burns your hand, wait 10-15 seconds and check the temperature of the towel again.
7. 7 If you have a fever, see your doctor. If the pain and swelling at the injection site gets worse, there may be an infection in the wound. Such a reaction is extremely rare. However, if you have a fever, see your doctor immediately.
   • If your temperature rises above 39 ℃, your doctor may suggest urgent hospitalization.

Tips

• Drink plenty of water the day before your blood test. The veins in your arms will become fuller and it will be easier to draw blood. When donating blood from a vein, wear loose-sleeved clothing.
• Since pregnancy and menstruation can temporarily increase ESR, be sure to inform your doctor about them.