Definition. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), or sedimentation rate (sed rate), is a measure of the settling of red blood cells in a tube of blood during one hour. The rate is an indication of inflammation and increases in many diseases.
Having blood in the stool can be the result of a wide variety of conditions, such as hemorrhoids, diverticula, inflammatory bowel disease, rectal prolapse, colorectal cancer, rectal abscesses, intestinal infections, peptic ulcer, intestinal polyps, constipation or anal fissures.
Likely dietary: Blood in the stool from an upper source can cause melena or black stool but the sool is consistently black. Specks of black in the stool may come from something you have ingested or ingest on a regular basis that does not digest well like seeds. ...