What Causes Elevated ESR Levels In A Person With Sickle Cell Trait?
Sickle cell crisis
Detailed Answer:
Hi there.
Welcome to Healthcare Magic.
I have read your query and understood your problem.
Do you have chronic back pain ?
Do you have any joint pain of knee, elbow etc. ?
Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder which affects the shape of the red blood cells. Under low oxygen conditions, the red blood cells deform from disc shape to sickle shape and can obstruct blood vessel and in bones to cause severe pain and less oxygen and blood supply to the bones.
The red blood cells also get destroyed faster than normal red blood cells which causes anaemia. Anaemia can cause increased ESR.
When you consumed your Doctor regarding the back pain and abdominal pain, he/she had advised tests as you mentioned such are baseline tests and also to detect any arthritis.
Usually in Sickle cell disease, bone pains can occur and can cause necrosis or death of part of the bone, osteomyelitis or infection of the bone or even joint problems like arthritis.
In such cases the ESR and RA factor can rise.
Usually I would suggest Xray of the spine to look for any abnormalities and if I suspect bone necrosis or death of the bone or infection, then I would suggest bone scan. This bone scan will help to find out bone death or infection in the bones.
Since you have sustained the stress of child birth surgery, the oxygen may be less in your blood due to the blood loss and increased destruction of the blood cells. You are anaemic because your Haemoglobin should be above 12 to 14mg/dL. This can lead to further problems to the body organs if not treated promptly.
Kindly get tested for other blood counts and blood cell indices like MCI, MCHC to find out the type of anaemia. Also discuss with your Doctor about a bone scan.
Usually for pain in Sickle cell, Hydroxyurea is prescribed in the dose of 15mg/kg/day to start with and after 2 weeks when the blood cell count improves it is titled to 5mg/kg/day. This medicine is very useful to prevent and treat acute pains in the chest and limbs due to Sickle cell.
Kindly discuss with an Orthopaedic surgeon about the possibility of infection, necrosis or Osteoporosis which can occur in the spine in this conform causing the pain.
Eat healthy. Keep well hydrated. Stay stress free with Yoga.
Kindly follow up with me regarding to further condors and progress at any time.
I hope I have answered your query.
Thanking you.
Regards,
Dr. Aashish Raghu