Posted 4/3/2013 9:42 PM (GMT 0)
Everyone seems to be a little different on this. SED rate is literally the rate at which the red blood cells settle in a unit of time (usually 1 hr.). Supposedly, inflammation causes red blood cells to become heavier, thus increasing the rate of settling...
In practice, however, that doesn't always prove true. There are many who have extremely high levels of inflammation and a normal SED rate.
And then there are those like me, who have an extremely high SED rate (has been as high as 102) and a completely normal C-Reactive Protein. CRP is another inflammation marker, though usually more correlated with acute inflammation rather than chronic.
So the bottom line is, there are many markers of inflammation in the body, and not all of them will say you have inflammation when inflammation is actually present. The immune system is complex, and then adding Lyme/coinfections to this makes the situation even more complex.
The best way to know if you have inflammation is to take anti-inflammatory substances and see if symptoms improve: Systemic Enzymes (Nattokinase, Bromelain, etc.), Circumin/Turmeric, Ginger, Fish Oil (Omega-3 fatty acids), etc., and avoiding pro-inflammatory foods such as nightshades, sugar, gluten, dairy, etc.