What Causes Elevated Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate?

Elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'needs attention' to 'very serious'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate" as a symptom. Here are two possibilities:

Polymyalgia Rheumatica
Ulcerative Colitis

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

weak appetite

recent onset diarrhea

unilateral hip pain

regular episodes of diarrhea

history of occult blood

joint pain/swelling/stiffness

having loose stools

frequent meal-related bloating

unilateral shoulder pain

moderate right iliac pain

severe fatigue after slight exertion

occasional mucus in stools

... and more than 10 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate:

Cause	Probability	Status
Ulcerative Colitis	91%	Confirm
Polymyalgia Rheumatica	60%	Possible

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate having had recent lab tests, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) or Red Blood Cell Sedimentation Rate. Unit: mm/h

Possible responses:

→ Don't know
→ 0 to 15 (normal)
→ 16 to 25
→ 26 to 40
→ Over 40

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate normal ESR, elevated ESR or high ESR, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Polymyalgia Rheumatica

Ulcerative Colitis

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™