What illness doesn’t have inflammation involved somewhere? But other than the standard ESR and CRP tests done by your doctor, how else can you get some clues to how bad the inflammation is and what might be causing it? Whether looking at gut, brain or systemic inflammation, there are options. Here’s the new page for you and I’ve copied it below too.
Unsure if you need an Inflammation Test?
Well, pretty much every acute and chronic illness has an inflammatory component to it. I think it underlies pretty much everything including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular problems, as well as the usual things like arthritis and pain you’d usually associate with inflammation.
I normally assume some inflammation level and treat, but it can be very helpful to see exactly how inflamed you might be and what the nature of that is. Is an infection causing an inflammatory response? Might there be an autoimmune inflammatory element to your condition?
Testing Summary
If you’re not sure if inflammation is involved in your condition, get your GP to check ESR and CRP. Or, even better do a more advanced CRPs (high sensitive) (RG). If you’re pretty convinced inflammation is raised, do an Inflammation Cytokine Panel (RG) to check where the inflammation is possibly coming from and what compounds might work – at least in vitro – to help bring it down. If you need to consider specific gut inflammation, look at a Calprotectin Stool Test (RG), but preferably do a full gut test. For NI (neuroinflammation), do the Neuroinflammation Test (RG).
Testing Inflammation
Your GP will probably do ESR and CRP as part of a general blood work-up and those will give you a general look at any systemic inflammation present; it sort of confirms it and gives you a progress marker to measure.
You can do a simple ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate) Blood Test (MC). Or you can do a full blood chemistry test yourself, of course. See that section here.
However, when we are looking for chronic, rather than acute inflammation, you need to dig a lot deeper.
At the very least you should do a CRPs (high sensitive) (RG) which will pick up far more than the usual standard CRP. There is a fingerprick version too if you prefer that: CRP (High Sensitivity) Blood Test (MC).
However, the best way is to look at the hsCRP and certain cytokines. The Inflammation Cytokine Panel (RG) looks at hsCRP, Tnf-a, IL-10, IL b-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL2 receptor and LPS, which is fantastically comprehensive. I like it because it also gives you an indicator of which anti-inflammatory compound might work best for you, given your results eg. curcumin, boswellia etc.
Gut Inflammation Test
If you suspect inflammation in the gut, then a gut screen includes several inflammatory markers so that would be your best choice. You can see the Gut Tests here. Or you can start with a simple Calprotectin Stool Test (RG). Calprotectin can help you differentiate between IBS or IBD (like colitis or Crohn’s). It’s probably better value to have the gut test done really for the sheer amount of other info you get.
Neuroinflammation Test
There are specific cytokines which can suggest brain or neuroinflammation. The Neuroinflammation Test (RG) measures those. I’ve not used it a lot as I never knew it existed until I wrote this page for you, but it looks to be very useful! Read the Brain Factsheet here for much more about neuro-inflammation and why it is so important.
Testing Summary
If you’re not sure if inflammation is involved in your condition, get your GP to check ESR and CRP. Or, even better do a more advanced CRPs (high sensitive) (RG). If you’re pretty convinced inflammation is raised, do an Inflammation Cytokine Panel (RG) and check where the inflammation is and what compounds might work – at least in vitro – to help bring it down. If you need to consider specific gut inflammation, look at a Calprotectin Stool Test (RG), but preferably do a full gut test. For NI (neuroinflammation), do the Neuroinflammation Test (RG).