A low erythrocyte sedimentation rate means that few cells have settled which usually means no inflammation or very little inflammation and a high ESR means a lot of cells have settled that can suggest inflammation.
The alarming level of ESR is (>100 mm/hr) and an apparent cause is usually present such as infection, temporal arteritis or malignancy.
A high erythrocyte sedimentation rate means that you have higher levels of inflammation in the body.
If the ESR or erythrocyte sedimentation rate test shows that the blood cells sink faster than normal then it can mean that you have a medical condition that is causing inflammation in the body.
And the speed of the test result is a sign of how much inflammation you have in the body.
The faster the ESR rates the higher levels of inflammation you have and the slower the ESR rates the lower levels of inflammation you have in the body.
Your erythrocyte sedimentation rate is the rate at which the red blood cells in anticoagulated whole blood descend in a standardized tube over a period of one hour.
It is a common hematology test, and is a non-specific measure of inflammation.
The normal range for erythrocyte sedimentation rates is as follows.
Men under 50 years old: less than 15 mm/hr.
Men over 50 years old: less than 20 mm/hr.
Women under 50 years old: less than 20 mm/hr.
Women over 50 years old: less than 30 mm/hr.
If there exists a suspicion of disease, the ESR may have some value as a “sickness index.”
If the level is extremely elevated (>100 mm/hr), an apparent cause is usually present (malignancy, infection, temporal arteritis).
If your ESR is high you should avoid or limit processed foods, cookies, salty and sugary snacks, and trans fats, packaged meats, as they can contribute to inflammation.
Apart from certain infections, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) & other autoimmune diseases can also contribute to increased ESR.