Sedrate Test Question?!
Question: Sedrate Test Question!?
My Sedrate Test results were 50 they said they should be 0-20!.
Does anyone know what this means!? My doctor wants me to see a Rheumatologist who specializes in inflammatory autoimmune dieases!.
Her test was neg for lupus but the sedrate test was elevated suggested inflammation!.I was reading on the internet it could be heart disease or cancer!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Does anyone know what this means!? My doctor wants me to see a Rheumatologist who specializes in inflammatory autoimmune dieases!.
Her test was neg for lupus but the sedrate test was elevated suggested inflammation!.I was reading on the internet it could be heart disease or cancer!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
inflammation could be due to an infection, a flare up of an autoimmune disease like Rheumatoid Arthritis or Lupus (SLE), due to cancer, or during the bodies healing phase after trauma or surgery!. Even gingivitis and periodontal disease can cause elevations!. There is some debate over whether the ESR or a measurement of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) is more accurate!. At present, elevations of CRP are highly correlated with the risk for heart attack!. This indicates that there IS an inflammatory component or trigger that adds to the risk of an MI!. It's not JUST high cholestrol, smoking and high blood pressure (but they all contribute!.)
Now all that being said!. an ESR of 60 is fairly high!. You don't give any clinical details like what disease or symptoms that you have!. So it's hard to give a good interpretation!. A general observation (and this is really a rule-of-thumb approach) is:
20 - 40 = mild inflammation
40 - 60 = moderate
60-100 = high level of inflammation
>100 = someone is really, really sickWww@Answer-Health@Com
Now all that being said!. an ESR of 60 is fairly high!. You don't give any clinical details like what disease or symptoms that you have!. So it's hard to give a good interpretation!. A general observation (and this is really a rule-of-thumb approach) is:
20 - 40 = mild inflammation
40 - 60 = moderate
60-100 = high level of inflammation
>100 = someone is really, really sickWww@Answer-Health@Com
First of all, "sedrate" is a nickname for Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), so you will find more information if you search using the full name or "ESR"!.
Secondly, you should not use the range 0-20 indiscriminately, since the "normal" range for ESR depends on age and gender, among other things!. Most doctors I know use the simple formula to arrive at the upper limit of normal for a patient:
- Women: (age+10) / 2
- Men: age / 2
As you can see, an ESR of 20 would be too high for a 20-year-old man (the upper limit of normal for him should be less than 10)!.
Now back to your questions!.
Using the formulae, your value of 50 would be considered high, unless you are a woman who is 100 years old!.
ESR is a non-specific measure of inflammation -- it will go up regardless of where inflammation is coming from!. So while ESR can go up in heart disease and cancer, it can also go up with any chronic (long-lasting) infection, or with any of the many autoimmune diseases (including lupus)!.
If you are a young woman, you are much more likely to have an autoimmune disease than heart disease or cancer!. That's why sending you to a rheumatologist is definitely a right move!.
Most autoimmune diseases are treatable, so don't worry yourself sick before you see the rheumatologist!
P!.S!. For a more detailed explanation of how ESR is measured, and why it goes up with inflammation, see: http://en!.wikipedia!.org/wiki/Erythrocyte!.!.!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Secondly, you should not use the range 0-20 indiscriminately, since the "normal" range for ESR depends on age and gender, among other things!. Most doctors I know use the simple formula to arrive at the upper limit of normal for a patient:
- Women: (age+10) / 2
- Men: age / 2
As you can see, an ESR of 20 would be too high for a 20-year-old man (the upper limit of normal for him should be less than 10)!.
Now back to your questions!.
Using the formulae, your value of 50 would be considered high, unless you are a woman who is 100 years old!.
ESR is a non-specific measure of inflammation -- it will go up regardless of where inflammation is coming from!. So while ESR can go up in heart disease and cancer, it can also go up with any chronic (long-lasting) infection, or with any of the many autoimmune diseases (including lupus)!.
If you are a young woman, you are much more likely to have an autoimmune disease than heart disease or cancer!. That's why sending you to a rheumatologist is definitely a right move!.
Most autoimmune diseases are treatable, so don't worry yourself sick before you see the rheumatologist!
P!.S!. For a more detailed explanation of how ESR is measured, and why it goes up with inflammation, see: http://en!.wikipedia!.org/wiki/Erythrocyte!.!.!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
My sedrate is always elevated!. It means that I have an inflammation in my body!.
I saw a Rheumatologist!. I tested negative for all the tests!.
Have your doc run a Liver Enzyme test!. After many tests, I was finally diagnosed with NASH!.
Non-alcoholic Steatohepatis!. It's a Liver disease!. Because I have no Gall Bladder to help with the breakdown of food in my diet, my Liver went on overtime!. Now it doesn't work right!. I have a special diet!. The NASH website is a great help!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I saw a Rheumatologist!. I tested negative for all the tests!.
Have your doc run a Liver Enzyme test!. After many tests, I was finally diagnosed with NASH!.
Non-alcoholic Steatohepatis!. It's a Liver disease!. Because I have no Gall Bladder to help with the breakdown of food in my diet, my Liver went on overtime!. Now it doesn't work right!. I have a special diet!. The NASH website is a great help!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Your doctor is guiding you in the right direction, though there is no test for Lupus!. The number of people affected with autoimmune disease far exceeds cancer!. Good luckWww@Answer-Health@Com
Your sed rate is high, indicating an infection!. Get a prescription of antibiotics which should also protect you from a heart attack!.
Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis are both rheumatic diseases, best treated by adding antibiotics to anti-inflammatory medications!.
Get an appointment with an orthopaedist, the medical doctor specializing in diseases of the bones, joints and skin, for a diagnosis and a review of treatment options, including antibiotics!.
Rheumatic diseases are the result of a defective gene and collagen inflammation, often from a chronic infection!. Collagen is present throughout the body, from the eyes, skin and joints to the heart!. Hence, the multiplicity of symptoms, depending on the location of the most affected internal organs or body parts!.
Rheumatic diseases are diagnosed in much the same way as rheumatoid arthritis, through a number of blood tests showing inflammation:
- Antistreptolysin-O (ASO);
- C-Reactive protein (CRP);
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR);
- Rheumatoid factor (RF);
- Immunoglobulins A, E, and G;
- Complement 3 (C-3)!.
For more than 27 years, I have had seronegative rheumatoid arthritis like 20% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis!. You may recognize some of the telling signs of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis:
- Joint pain or cracking joints in the lower extremities, feet, ankles, knees or hips in the early 20's or late teens;
- Fatigue, especially after a moderate exercise like a 30 minute walk;
- Blood test showing a negative or low level of Rheumatoid factor (RF);
- Joint deformities of the fingers, after a few years, a specific sign of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Consecutive X-Rays, over several years, showing bone erosion, a consequence of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Generalized arthritis and pain, involving the whole body;
- Blood tests showing elevated levels of C-Reactive protein (CRP) and Sedimentation rate (ESR)!.
Antibiotics like Minocin, NSAIDs like Voltaren, COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex, acetaminophen like Tylenol, codeine, and statins like Lipitor are all used to control inflammation and relieve the pain of arthritis or lupus!.
Regular exercise like walking, biking and swimming is also helpful for most patients!. Make sure that you are not overweight as carrying too much weight can only increase the pain of arthritis in the supporting joints of the hips, knees, ankles and feet!.
For any form of rheumatic disease, including lupus, you should consult an orthopaedist who will order blood tests, joint scans and X-Rays to better diagnose the type of rheumatic disease from which you suffer!.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons at http://www!.aaos!.org maintains a public online directory where you can find the address and phone number of orthopaedists who belong to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons!. Orthopaedists are listed by geographic location and family name, inside the USA and in most countries!.
The membership directory of the AAOS is located at:
http://www6!.aaos!.org/about/public/member!.!.!.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons maintains a wealth of information online at:
http://orthoinfo!.aaos!.org
In some cases, patients should also consult a microbiologist, a medical doctor specializing in infections, working in a university teaching hospital, who will order his own blood tests and stool cultures to identify all microorganisms, bacteria or viruses, causing an infection, and prescribe the best antibiotics and antiviral agents to fight these microorganisms!.
The American Society for Microbiology at http://www!.asm!.org maintains an Academy fellowship directory where you can find the address and phone number of microbiologists!. Microbiologists are listed by area of expertise, geographic location and family name, inside the USA and in most countries!.
The Academy fellowship directory of the ASM is located at:
http://www!.asm!.org/Directories/fellows_s!.!.!.
Lyme disease could be a possibility!. Ask the doctor to test you for the bacteria causing Lyme disease!.
Are there any other cases of lupus, arthritis or rheumatic diseases among your relatives!? Chronic forms of lupus and rheumatic diseases are usually prevalent in families where a defective gene is passed on by parents to their children!.
There are a few hundred types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases!. The good news is that science is progressing rapidly in its understanding of rheumatic diseases!.
Antibiotics are now used to achieve full remissions for at least 40%, if not 65% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis!. The same can be done for a rheumatic disease like lupus!. For more info, please join the antibio group at:
http://health!.groups!.yahoo!.com/group/ant!.!.!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis are both rheumatic diseases, best treated by adding antibiotics to anti-inflammatory medications!.
Get an appointment with an orthopaedist, the medical doctor specializing in diseases of the bones, joints and skin, for a diagnosis and a review of treatment options, including antibiotics!.
Rheumatic diseases are the result of a defective gene and collagen inflammation, often from a chronic infection!. Collagen is present throughout the body, from the eyes, skin and joints to the heart!. Hence, the multiplicity of symptoms, depending on the location of the most affected internal organs or body parts!.
Rheumatic diseases are diagnosed in much the same way as rheumatoid arthritis, through a number of blood tests showing inflammation:
- Antistreptolysin-O (ASO);
- C-Reactive protein (CRP);
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR);
- Rheumatoid factor (RF);
- Immunoglobulins A, E, and G;
- Complement 3 (C-3)!.
For more than 27 years, I have had seronegative rheumatoid arthritis like 20% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis!. You may recognize some of the telling signs of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis:
- Joint pain or cracking joints in the lower extremities, feet, ankles, knees or hips in the early 20's or late teens;
- Fatigue, especially after a moderate exercise like a 30 minute walk;
- Blood test showing a negative or low level of Rheumatoid factor (RF);
- Joint deformities of the fingers, after a few years, a specific sign of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Consecutive X-Rays, over several years, showing bone erosion, a consequence of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Generalized arthritis and pain, involving the whole body;
- Blood tests showing elevated levels of C-Reactive protein (CRP) and Sedimentation rate (ESR)!.
Antibiotics like Minocin, NSAIDs like Voltaren, COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex, acetaminophen like Tylenol, codeine, and statins like Lipitor are all used to control inflammation and relieve the pain of arthritis or lupus!.
Regular exercise like walking, biking and swimming is also helpful for most patients!. Make sure that you are not overweight as carrying too much weight can only increase the pain of arthritis in the supporting joints of the hips, knees, ankles and feet!.
For any form of rheumatic disease, including lupus, you should consult an orthopaedist who will order blood tests, joint scans and X-Rays to better diagnose the type of rheumatic disease from which you suffer!.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons at http://www!.aaos!.org maintains a public online directory where you can find the address and phone number of orthopaedists who belong to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons!. Orthopaedists are listed by geographic location and family name, inside the USA and in most countries!.
The membership directory of the AAOS is located at:
http://www6!.aaos!.org/about/public/member!.!.!.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons maintains a wealth of information online at:
http://orthoinfo!.aaos!.org
In some cases, patients should also consult a microbiologist, a medical doctor specializing in infections, working in a university teaching hospital, who will order his own blood tests and stool cultures to identify all microorganisms, bacteria or viruses, causing an infection, and prescribe the best antibiotics and antiviral agents to fight these microorganisms!.
The American Society for Microbiology at http://www!.asm!.org maintains an Academy fellowship directory where you can find the address and phone number of microbiologists!. Microbiologists are listed by area of expertise, geographic location and family name, inside the USA and in most countries!.
The Academy fellowship directory of the ASM is located at:
http://www!.asm!.org/Directories/fellows_s!.!.!.
Lyme disease could be a possibility!. Ask the doctor to test you for the bacteria causing Lyme disease!.
Are there any other cases of lupus, arthritis or rheumatic diseases among your relatives!? Chronic forms of lupus and rheumatic diseases are usually prevalent in families where a defective gene is passed on by parents to their children!.
There are a few hundred types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases!. The good news is that science is progressing rapidly in its understanding of rheumatic diseases!.
Antibiotics are now used to achieve full remissions for at least 40%, if not 65% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis!. The same can be done for a rheumatic disease like lupus!. For more info, please join the antibio group at:
http://health!.groups!.yahoo!.com/group/ant!.!.!.Www@Answer-Health@Com