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If you've been experiencing joint pain, your doctor might recommend that you take a SED test. SED stands for sedimentation rate, which is measured by a test known as the ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) test. The ESR measures the speed with which red blood cells in the blood sink from a liquid substrate to form a sediment at the bottom of a test medium such as a test tube.

Erythrocytes are cellular units that carry oxygen and other essential chemicals in the blood. They are commonly known as red blood cells due to their appearance which gives the red color to blood.

What Causes High Sed Rate in Blood

High SED rate is caused by the clumping together of red blood cells in the body. When red blood cells stick together and form into clumps, the clumps become much heavier than normal red blood cells. When an ESR test is performed on blood containing these clusters of interwoven red blood cells, it will indicate a high SED rate.

During the test, the red blood cells that are clumped together sink to the bottom much faster than healthy, normal red blood cells. The more clumping of red blood cells in the blood, the higher the SED rate as measured by the test.

A high SED rate indicates that some abnormalities may be occurring in the test subject. When a higher than normal rate of red blood sedimentation is present, it can be symptomatic with some conditions that result in the clumping of red blood cells. Such conditions may be dangerous for the patient.

Some conditions associated with a high SED rate include:

Inflammation
Cancer
Arthritis
Infections
Thyroid diseases

Since there are a variety of factors that may cause a high SED rate, it is often necessary to conduct further tests on the patient to diagnose the problem. If you experience joint pain, neck pain, stiffness, headaches, or other bodily discomfort, you might need to take an ESR test which will determine if you need treatment.

How to Reduce SED Rate

Reducing SED rate normally involves treating the underlying condition. After conducting a full diagnosis, the doctor will be in a position to determine the cause of a patient's abnormally high SED rate.

Infections – Antibiotic treatments can cure infections
Inflammation – Doctors may prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs
Other diseases – Your doctor will take into account your other health information and supplementary tests in order to prescribe the right treatment

Besides medical treatments, there may be other ways to reduce SED rate if there are no dangerous medical problems present. For example, eating certain foods or taking supplements can help alleviate high SED rate.

What Is Your Ideal SED Rate

Abnormal SED rates may be a side effect of taking certain medicines, which affect your SED readings in a test. Some medicines that can cause this include cortisone, quinine, and birth control pills. You should therefore alert the doctor during your appointment if you are taking any of these drugs.

SED rates are counted in millimeters per hour. This is the distance that red blood cells descend in the blood sample. These are the ideal SED rates

Women under 50 years old – 0-20 mm/hr.
Men under 50 years old – 0-15 mm/hr.
Women over 50 years old – 0-30 mm/hr.
Men over 50 years old – 0-20 mm/hr.

How to Maintain a Healthy SED Rate

One of the easiest ways to maintain a healthy SED rate is to make dietary and lifestyle changes. Eating foods high in cholesterol may raise SED rate in blood, hence, reducing cholesterol intake will lower SED rate. Foods such as garlic and herbs can reduce inflammation in the body, all while giving your body important antioxidants that improve your blood health.

Eating fish such as salmon, as well as nuts like walnuts or almonds will reduce cholesterol and inflammation in the body. The result is healthier blood with lower SED rates.

While lifestyle adjustments are a low cost way to combat high SED rates, getting treatment for underlying conditions is the biggest factor in a patient's quick recovery. You should, therefore, discuss treatment options with your doctor to regain a healthy balance in the blood.