Dear doctor, My father is now having an ESR Rate of 92. He is 62 Years old. Till now he doesnt have Blood sugar or any other abnormal health issues. But he is havin High BP. What is the reason for this High ESR Rate. Since the last week he is having pneumonia. But he is recovering from that now. But doctors are in confusion regarding this high ESR Rate. I would like to know the reason as early as possible from you.Thanks and Regards,Dilka
Hi, ESR is elevated in infectious diseases, anemia, in inflammatory situations etc. Since your father is having pneumonia it may be because of that. Don't worry. ESR is a marker of chronic inflammation, and it lowers down more slowly than the infection itself. If you are worried about the acute infection from pneumonia you can check PCR, since it is more sensitive and a better indicator of infection. Several weeks latter you can check ESR again.