Understanding Inflammation Blood Test

Inflammation, although good in the short run due to its healing qualities, can be dangerous in the long run. Inflammation is a natural part of the healing process¹ and is when your immune system works to remove harmful stimuli and contaminants from the body. However, many diseases stem from chronic inflammation, which is when inflammation is present even though the body isn’t trying to heal itself. 

Chronic inflammation can happen to anyone at any time, so getting tested periodically is important to ensure you’re not suffering from inflammation. An inflammation blood test is one of the best ways to get tested for inflammation. This exam, also known as an inflammatory markers blood test, is a test that checks for inflammation in the body. 

You’ve come to the right place if you’re curious and want to know more about inflammation blood tests. This article will discuss how inflammation blood tests work, what they check for, and what the results could mean. We’ll also discuss your next steps if you have an abnormal result on your blood test for infection and inflammation.

What is an Inflammation Blood Test?

An inflammation blood test is a blood test that checks for inflammation in your body. When inflammation occurs somewhere in your system, certain protein levels and markers will be slightly elevated. For this reason, this type of test is also known as an inflammatory markers test because it will reveal whether or not there’s inflammation in your blood work.

Different Types of Inflammation Blood Tests 

Because inflammation is a fairly broad-sweeping term and can occur anywhere in the body, there are several types of inflammation blood tests. This includes CRK, CP, homocysteine, ESR, and LDG tests. Ideally, you should look for an inflammation blood test that checks each of these things rather than just one or two. An inflammation blood markers test that checks for everything is the most comprehensive option and will give you the most information.

How does an Inflammation Blood Test Work? 

Regardless of what type of inflammation blood test you receive, they all work similarly. A doctor will use a syringe and needle to perform a blood draw. They will then put your blood in a tube and test it for inflammatory blood markers, aka elevated levels of certain proteins.

How to Prepare for Your Inflammation Blood Test

Unlike other types of blood tests, you typically don’t have to do anything special to prepare for an inflammation blood test. The things you eat, drink, and do leading up to the test won’t affect the results. To be safe, however, you should check with the healthcare professional administering the test to see if they have any special instructions. 

Why do You need an Inflammation Blood Test?

Chronic inflammation is no laughing matter and isn’t something you want to mess with. Inflammation blood tests can tell you if you’re at risk for serious health problems, such as giant cell arteritis. It can also tell you if you have a vitamin insufficiency, diabetes, hepatitis, or autoimmune disease. A blood test for infection and inflammation is also useful if you currently have an inflammatory disease that needs monitoring.

While the inflammation blood test won’t tell you the exact nature of a disease or why it’s happening, it can tell you if you need additional testing. You should get tested for inflammation if you’re experiencing pain, swelling, redness, tenderness, or heat somewhere on your body, you should get tested for inflammation.

Understanding Inflammation Blood Test Results

Here are some of the main things a comprehensive inflammation blood test will check for and what the results mean.

• C-reactive protein test (CRP) – checks for high levels of CRP, which indicates inflammation.
• Erythrocyte sedimentation rate test (ESR or sed rate test) – checks to see if your sed rate is normal. An elevated sed rate causes inflammation or infection in the body.
• Creatine kinase test – checks for elevated levels of CK, which could indicate a muscular injury or disease
• LDH blood test – checks for elevated LDH levels which could indicate inflammation as well as an underlying health problem
• Homocysteine test – this test checks whether or not you have a vitamin deficiency.

It’s important to have your inflammation blood test results checked and explained to you by a medical professional.

What to do if You have Abnormal Inflammation Blood Test Results

If you get an abnormal result on one of the protein levels for your inflammation blood test, you must consult your doctor about your next steps. Further testing and a follow-up inflammation blood test may be necessary. Further testing will reveal what’s causing your inflammation so that you can begin treatment to reduce it.

In the meantime, you should do everything in your power to naturally reduce inflammation in your body. This includes making healthy dietary and lifestyle changes, such as eating more fruits, veggies, and whole grains and cutting back on inflammatory foods.

Conclusion

While inflammation blood tests are a fairly new concept to the medical world, they’re rapidly gaining popularity. This quick and simple test for inflammation in the body will let you know if you’re at risk for certain major health problems and conditions. It will also let you know if you need to make important lifestyle changes to improve your health. If you’re concerned about inflammation and what it can do, you should talk to your healthcare provider about an inflammation blood test.

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