Let's first understand the concepts. Most likely, the word "ESR" is heard by many, even those who, in fact, do not think whether it is increased or not. And if we only hear about ESR from TV screens, and also read on the Internet, then this indicator is really important and informative, because it reflects the state of our body.
ESR is nothing but the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in human blood . There are indicators for pregnant and non-pregnant women, for newborns, young children, for men and the elderly. As they say, you cannot measure all with one comb, this would be a mistake.
So, the ESR during pregnancy and the ESR of an organism that does not currently bear a fetus are different. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate will be completely different. The red blood cells that have outlived their life (although they don’t have to say about the age, because their life span is only 120 days), enter the liver and spleen, where they die, that is, they are destroyed and excreted from the body, and new ones are produced in the red bone marrow .
It is believed that ESR during pregnancy can increase significantly, and this is not a reason for panic. It should be so. The rate of ESR during pregnancy is 45 mm / h, while in normal women the norm is 15 mm / h.
But much depends, of course, not only on these indicators, and a competent professional doctor must take this into account. Soe during or without pregnancy is significantly affected (and we emphasize the word significantly) by diet. For example, those who prefer plant foods have low rates, and vice versa, meat lovers will find other data when analyzing the shelter. Indirect inflammatory processes also affect indicators, which a person may not even be aware of, but they are nonetheless present in the body.
Many people wonder - why is ESR elevated during pregnancy, alarming doctors?
Indeed, despite the fact that these indicators can jump at different stages of pregnancy, it is to them that doctors pay special attention. As you know, the procedure for taking tests for ESR during pregnancy is mandatory for all future women in labor.
Examining ESR during pregnancy, the doctor determines the general condition of the woman and the course of pregnancy. Unfortunately, if this indicator rapidly creeps up, it means that inflammatory processes occur in the body and it is necessary to establish their true cause. Inflammatory processes may indicate, say, kidney diseases, metabolic disorders in the body, and even malignant tumors.
But do not panic, sometimes such analyzes are done several times with interruptions of 1-2 days. It often happens that the initial tests to determine the erythrocyte sedimentation rate turned out to be not entirely accurate, therefore, to make sure they are correct and informative, it is necessary to take tests several times. And it is advisable to conduct research in several laboratories.
And finally, a few words about the general change in this indicator.
The first six months of pregnancy, ESR is lower than in the last trimester. And this is also normal, do not panic. In the last trimester, indicators are growing sharply and increase almost three times! Doctors know about this, so they are calm about such differences. Also, a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate is also normal in the postpartum period, the first weeks after birth. And then these indicators slowly but steadily return to normal. That is, they will strive again to 15 mm / hour.
If you plan to become a mother, then you need to examine the blood in advance in order to protect yourself from unexpected and not always pleasant surprises. In particular, it is necessary to take tests for ESR, as well as to eat properly and in a balanced manner.