What is ESR Test and its Price?
What is ESR?
The complete form for ESR is Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate. It is a kind of blood test that helps determine if there is any inflammation in the patient's body. What do you mean by inflammation? It is basically the reaction of the body's immune system to any action happening to the body, as any injury is done, any kind of infection taking place in the body, any disease of the immune system, various diseases of the blood, or different types of cancers.
By performing the ESR test, if the red blood cells settle down faster than the normal condition, it indicates that the patient is suffering from a medical condition due to which there is inflammation in the body. The time taken by the red blood cells is indicative of the level of inflammation. Lesser the time taken to settle down higher the inflammation and vice versa. Thus, the ESR test doesn't help to diagnose the specific medical condition, but it just confirms the inflammatory condition and so which test to be taken further.
The ESR test is also called as sedimentation rate or SED rate test.
When is the ESR test advised by the doctor?
The ESR blood test is useful to confirm and measure the level of inflammation in the body, and it does not diagnose the cause of the inflammation. There are many medical conditions due to which inflammation can occur in the body. So hardly doctors recommend the ESR test alone it is usually accompanied by any other diagnostic test.
Procedure for ESR Test
The first step is the withdrawal of the blood which hardly takes one or two minutes. To withdraw the blood, the area has to be prepared for the withdrawal. For this, the skin over the vein is cleaned, and then the skin is punctured with the sterile need, and blood is withdrawn. After the withdrawal of the blood pressure is applied at the puncture site to clot the blood.
The collected blood sample is taken for testing to the laboratory. In the laboratory, the sample is taken into a test tube and left in the test tube for an hour. During this time period of one hour, the lab technician assesses the movement of the red blood cells, i.e., with what speed the red blood cells are settling in the test tube and also the number of the blood cells settling.
How to prepare yourself before undergoing the ESR
There are no special preparations to be done before going for the ESR test; you just have to do overnight fasting the previous night. You also need to inform the doctor if you are on any medication as there are chances that the doctor may ask you to discontinue the medicine for a dose or so, as the medicines may have an effect on the sedimentation rate of the red blood cells.
Risks associated with the ESR test
In the blood withdrawal process, you may experience mild to severe pain when the needle punctures the site, and even throbbing may be felt at the site. Some of you might not be comfortable viewing the blood, so it is advisable to consult your doctor or the lab professional about this before the blood is withdrawn.
1.
2. Fainting 3. Tenderness 4. Hematoma 5. Very
6. Infection 7. Lightheadedness 8. Inflammation
Direct risks are not involved with the ESR test, but the withdrawal of the blood may have certain effects, and some of the complications involved are as follows:
Bruising
mild to severe bleeding
of the vein
Prices of the ESR test
The cost of the ESR blood test varies from city to city and even with the diagnostic centers. The price range of the ESR test in different cities is as follows: 1. Hyderabad - Rs 50 to Rs 175 2. Chennai - Rs 50 to Rs 130 3. Bangalore - Rs 50 to Rs 130 4. Mumbai - Rs 50 to Rs 130 5. Delhi - Rs 50 to Rs 130 The cost of an ESR test is different with different centers. SRL Diagnostics is
the cheapest labs costing
Rs 128 for the test.
among one
around
Conclusion It is advisable that whenever you experience any symptoms mentioned above, you must visit your doctor and, if needed, get the ESR test done from SRL Diagnostics. It is now easily available in all cities, and almost all the labs provide the ESR test service at reasonable rates.