what does e.s.r 35mm mean in blood test of female normal range20 mm/hr does it mean cold symtoms?

Answers:
The sedimentation rate (sed rate) blood test measures how quickly red blood cells (erythrocytes) settle in a test tube in one hour. It is abbreviated ESR.When inflammation is present in the body, certain proteins cause red blood cells to stick together and fall more quickly than normal to the bottom of the tube. The more red cells that fall to the bottom of a special test tube in one hour, the higher the sed rate. These proteins are produced by the liver and the immune system under many abnormal conditions, such as an infection, an autoimmune disease, or cancer. There are many possible causes of an elevated sedimentation rate. For this reason, a sed rate is done with other tests to confirm a diagnosis. Once a diagnosis has been made, a sed rate can be done to help monitor the course of the disease or the effectiveness of treatment.

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ESR stands for estimated sedimentation rate. It means you have some type of inflammatory process going on. Ex: Arthritis.

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The other answers are good.Don't get too worked up about this particular test, it is not definitive on anything, more a general indicator.The amount of red blood cells per mm^3 is also a factor, women having typically far less than men will have a higher ESR.When things are really serious in some way, the ESR gets very high -- yours is not in that range.Let your doctor evaluate your test results.But it is good that you are interested in all this. Your understanding will increase with experience in all things.The http://www.webmd.com site will be a good reference for you.Ask a friend who is a Medical Laboratory Technologist about it.

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