Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Blood Test
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Blood Test
Woman in medical attire with a stethoscope on a pink background, featuring text about a medical team being ready to help.
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Blood Test
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Blood Test
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Blood Test
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Blood Test
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Blood Test
Woman in medical attire with a stethoscope on a pink background, featuring text about a medical team being ready to help.
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Blood Test
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Blood Test
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Blood Test

Over 250k Biomarkers Tested

Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Blood Test

$38.00 AUD

Experiencing persistent joint pain, fatigue, or other symptoms your GP suspects may involve inflammation, and want to check whether your ESR is elevated?

Measures erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), a non-specific inflammation marker. Used to screen for autoimmune conditions, chronic infections, and inflammatory diseases, and to monitor disease activity.

Collection Location
Specimen Type

You will be emailed a referral to take to your local collection centre. If you ever have any questions, we're here to help.

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How It Works

Getting your health measured shouldn't be hard! We're here to help you every step of the way.

1
Order a test

Order a test

Order the private test that suits you and your goals. After ordering, you will receive your referral by email.

2
Collect the sample

Collect the sample

Attend one of our 4000+ partner collection centres throughout Australia. Search locations.

3
Receive your results

Receive your results

View all your lab results in your secure health dashboard. Easy!

Overview

The ESR test measures inflammation through a straightforward method: observing how quickly your red blood cells settle in a tube. When inflammation exists anywhere in your body, proteins released during the inflammatory response cause red cells to clump together and sink faster than normal.

This test serves as a general inflammation detector rather than pointing to any specific condition. Elevated results tell your doctor that something inflammatory is happening—infection, autoimmune activity, tissue damage, or other processes—prompting targeted investigation to find the source.

For Australians with unexplained symptoms like joint stiffness, persistent fatigue, or low-grade fevers, ESR provides an accessible first step in understanding whether inflammation plays a role. It's also valuable for monitoring known inflammatory conditions, tracking whether treatments are controlling disease activity over time.

Symptoms

ESR is used as a broad screening tool to check for the presence of inflammation. It's commonly ordered when investigating autoimmune conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or polymyalgia rheumatica), chronic infections, and certain blood disorders. It's also used to monitor disease activity and treatment response over time.

Questions

  • Both measure inflammation, but in different ways. CRP rises and falls quickly with acute inflammation. ESR rises more slowly and remains elevated for longer. They're often tested together to get a more complete picture.
  • Not completely. ESR is non-specific and can be normal in some inflammatory conditions. If your symptoms are strong, your practitioner may look at other markers even with a normal ESR.
  • A raised ESR can be seen in autoimmune conditions (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, polymyalgia rheumatica), infections, inflammatory bowel disease, and anaemia, among others. It requires further investigation to identify the cause.
  • Yes. ESR naturally rises with age, and reference ranges are adjusted for age and sex. Your practitioner will apply the appropriate range when interpreting your result.
  • It's often worth doing both. CRP and ESR complement each other and give your practitioner more information than either test alone.

Dr. Vu Tran
Bloody Good’s Chief Medical Officer

Biomarker Tested

How to prepare

No fasting required. Eat and drink normally. ESR is influenced by age, sex, and pregnancy, which your practitioner will account for when interpreting your result.

After the test

Take your result to your GP. ESR is rarely used alone. Your doctor will review it alongside CRP, your symptoms, and any relevant history to determine what further testing, if any, is needed.

Your test results will be available in your private dashboard. If there are any urgent issues, we'll let you know so you can follow up with your health professional.

Understanding results

- ESR is reported in millimetres per hour (mm/hr). Reference ranges vary by age and sex.
- A raised ESR indicates inflammation is present somewhere in the body but does not pinpoint its location or cause.
- Very high ESR can suggest significant inflammatory or systemic disease and warrants investigation.
- ESR rises more slowly than CRP and may remain elevated for longer after an acute event. The two markers often complement each other.

Testimonials

What Our Customers Say

4.9
Average Rating
5,500+ Customers Tested
250,000+ Individual Biomarkers
A
Adam O. ACT

Simple health checks in my control

I didn't know that private blood tests were an option. Tried this platform as the packages suited what I wanted for a good price. Easy to follow instructions, and super quick results. Platform provides more information than my gp's ever have on the tests and what the results meant. Would like more clinics to be able to test at (specifically Capital Pathology) but there is a decent network. Will continue to use.

The Performance Check
W
Wayne S. NSW

Bloody Good

This is a great service, very helpful support, cheaper than going to the doctor for a blood test

Vitamin D (25-OH)
C
Christopher N. NSW

Quick access to blood tests

BLOODY GOOD is a very efficient route to access blood testing for a visitor outside the Australian health system. It is quick with the necessary referral and documentation, and quick with results. Thank you

Full Blood Count (FBC) Blood Test
R
Rebecca Y NSW

Great Service!

Fantastic service to deal with, I love the extra explanations for all the tests.

Glycated Haemoglobin (HbA1c)
O
Olga B. New South Wales

Convenient

Getting a referral was easy. Laverty pathology accepted it. Bloody Good offers an affordable and convenient way to check essential blood markers.

hs-CRP Blood Test
M
Marita S. Queensland

Bloody good test

Very comprehensive tests that have given me a good picture of my overall health.

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Lukas C. NSW

Quick, easy, hassle free

Excellent service, quick, easy, hassle free, can recommend.

Testosterone Free/Total + SHBG
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ABDUL S. QLD

Amazingly quick and efficient

Very easy to use. Love that it stores your blood tests.

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Andre D. QLD

5 Stars

Efficient and easy to use

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Wayne NSW

5 Stars

Extremely helpful company

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Frequently bought together

Frequently Asked Questions

Most collection centres accept walk-ins. Some may require a booking - check details when you click on your chosen location.

If your test needs fasting, we’ll include that in your instructions after you order. Fasting usually means no food for 8–12 hours, but water is fine.

Just your pathology referral form (we email it to you)

Of course. Just maybe don’t bring the friend who faints at the sight of blood.

They’re the highly trained professionals who take your blood sample - with a steady hand and a sharp needle. They love blood, but don’t worry… they’re not vampires. Just legends who make blood tests quick, clean, and (almost) painless.

Some of our tests include Urine, Stool, Saliva and more. Each test will have a clear description on what sample you will need to give and instructions on how.