Your Guide To The Symptoms Of High Cholesterol
A large portion of society today is suffering from a disease that is a silent killer. There are no symptoms of high cholesterol but it is a treatable ailment. For the things you need to know about high cholesterol and what you can do about it read on…
Cholesterol is a fat that circulates in our bloodstream. It is in important component in the structure of cells, hormones and our energy levels. Cholesterol is created by the body itself and through the foods we eat. When the amount of cholesterol gets above the limit that the body needs it begins to get stuck on the walls of the arteries and starts to restrict blood flow. Once this begins to happen the risk of blood clots, heart disease, heart attack and stroke also begin to increase significantly.
Sadly there are almost apparent symptoms of high cholesterol – it is called the silent killer. The only way to diagnose it is through blood testing. In some rare instances there may be white rings around the iris of the eye. Gallstones because they are linked with diets high in fat are sometimes called pseudo symptoms of high cholesterol.
So needing to use blood testing is the most proactive way to find high cholesterol. There are two types of cholesterol in our bloodstreams at any time. HDL is the good version as it transports the bad cholesterol LDL back to the liver where it can be broken down.
The most immediate high cholesterol is for the patient to improve eating habits and way of life. By improving eating habits cholesterol can be reduced. This involves reducing the amount of saturated fats (usually sourced from meat, dairy etc) and increasing the levels of cereals, fruit and fibre.
Increasing exercise levels, reducing weight and eliminating smoking are the lifestyle factors which have been shown to lower cholesterol levels.
If lifestyle and diet changes are not effective enough, cholesterol lowering medications may be prescribed. Usually this step will not be taken for three to six months to allow lifestyle changes to take affect. Medications fall into two camps, statins and non statins. Statins have been found to be the most effective in lowering high cholesterol. However non-statin drugs are used when the risk of side effects are an issue.
There may be no symptoms of high cholesterol but that does not mean nothing can be done. If there is a family history of the disease vigilance is important. Blood tests are a simple process and managing lifestyle changes are well within anyone’s control. If this doesn’t work cholesterol lowering medications are available.
