ESR can show the level of inflammation in a body. Inflammation is immune system's response to injury, infection, and many types of conditions, including immune system disorders, certain cancers, and blood disorders. 

Clinical Significance

May need this test if have symptoms of one of the diseases that may cause ESR to go up.

may also need this test if have already been diagnosed with a disease that causes a high ESR. The test can allow to see how well are responding to treatment.

The ESR blood test is most useful for diagnosing or monitoring diseases that cause pain and swelling from inflammation. Other symptoms may include fever and weight loss. These diseases include-

Temporal arteritis

Rheumatoid arthritis

Polymyalgia rheumatica

If have a condition that causes inflammation or cell damage, red blood cells tend to clump together. This makes them heavier, so they settle faster. The faster red blood cells settle and fall, the higher ESR. A high ESR tells that may have an active disease process in a body.

ESR is not used as a screening test in people who do not have symptoms or to diagnose disease because many conditions can cause it to increase. It might also go up in many normal cases. ESR doesn't tell whether have a specific disease. It only suggests that may have an active disease process in a body.

Test results may vary depending on age, gender, health history, and other things.

ESR is measured in millimeters per hour (mm/hr). The normal values are:

0 to 15 mm/hr in men

0 to 20 mm/hr in women

ESR above 100 mm/h is most likely caused by an active disease. For instance, may have-

A disease that causes inflammation in a body

An active infection

Cancer

Heart disease

Kidney disease

Blood disease

Diabetes

Collagen vascular disease

Many things that are not active diseases can increase ESR. These include-

Pregnancy

Old age

Being female

Having a menstrual period

Having recently eaten a fatty meal

Being obese

Taking certain medicines