How Do You Know If You Have High Cholesterol
Conditions
How do you know if you have high cholesterol? Since high cholesterol has no symptoms, the only way to tell is through a blood test looking at your lipid levels. If you think your cholesterol levels are higher than they should be, dont wait to contact your doctor.
The buildup of plaque caused by high cholesterol can put you at risk for much more serious diseases like cardiovascular disease, peripheral arterial disease, coronary artery disease , or stroke. As frightening as that can sound, dont panic. With the help of your doctor, you can improve your cholesterol levels through medication and/or lifestyle changes.
In this article, we will teach you how to tell if you have high cholesterol, walk you through common risk factors, and advise you on when to seek emergency treatment.
Can High Cholesterol Make Me Tired
No, high cholesterol doesnt usually cause fatigue, but it can lead to heart diseases, such as coronary artery disease, that do. With this heart condition, excess LDL builds up as plaque in your hearts small arteries, causing them to narrow and stiffen. This reduces blood flow, which can make you feel tired or short of breath and cause chest pain, notes the NHLBI.
If youre taking a statin to treat high cholesterol, possible side effects could come with fatigue, such as memory loss, forgetfulness, and confusion, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However these are very rare. Mayo Clinic describes this as mental fuzziness. Be sure to discuss any similar symptoms with your doctor.
Cholesterol Medications Effect On Your Body
Heres a list of some of the common side effects associated with Lipitor:
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
Lipitor block the HMG-CoA enzyme. Which stops your bodys internal cholesterol production. But this also stops a huge range of other processes from taking place.
Vitamin D, all your sex hormones , and even co-enzyme Q10 production are impacted by statin use. Vitamin D deficiency is known to cause fatigue. Hormone imbalance are known to cause fatigue. And coQ10 deficiency is most certainly associated with fatigue!
Co-enzyme Q10 deficiency is responsible for a number of the side-effects associated with statin drugs. And it could be the main cause of your cholesterol medication-induced fatigue!
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What Causes High Cholesterol
Your liver produces cholesterol, but you also get cholesterol from food. Eating too many foods that are high in fat can increase your cholesterol level.
Being overweight and inactive also causes high cholesterol. If you are overweight, you most likely have a higher level of triglycerides. If you never exercise and arent active in general, it can lower your HDL .
You family history also affects your cholesterol level. Research has shown that high cholesterol tends to run in families. If you have an immediate family member who has it, you could have it, too.
Smoking also causes high cholesterol. It lowers your HDL .
These Blood Chemistry Factors Are Far Greater Indicators Of Cvd Risk Than Cholesterol
If there are better ways to assess a persons cardiovascular risk, dont you think your doctor should test for it? The reality is that there ARE far greater indicators other than cholesterol. Why are these not routinely tested then? Ill tell you EXACTLY why: Drug companies dont make drugs to treat these blood chemistry factors and therefore THERE IS NO MONEY TO BE MADE! They are controlled chiefly through nutritional intervention. If your doctor refuses to test these vital blood chemistry factors, fire your doctor:
- Cardio CRP
- Leptin
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Diet And Lifestyle Modifications
The first step in managing hyperlipidemia is modifying the lifestyle factors that contribute to abnormally high blood fatsâdiet, lack of exercise, smoking, and the overuse of alcohol.
Among the lifestyle interventions a healthcare provider may recommend:
- Diet: Reduce intake of saturated fats to less than 7% of total daily calories and total fat to less than 30%. Replace saturated fats with healthier polyunsaturated or monosaturated fats. Increase intake of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and oily fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
- Weight loss: Weight loss is currently recommended for obese people with a body mass index over 30 and overweight people with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 who have at least two risk factors for cardiovascular disease .
- Exercise: The general consensus is that at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise should be performed three to four times per week.
- Smoking: Kicking this habit is possibly the single most significant lifestyle change a person can make to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Stop smoking aids like nicotine replacement therapies and Zyban can significantly improve chances of quitting.
- Alcohol: The American Heart Association recommends limiting alcohol intake to no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.
Leading Risk Factors Of High Cholesterol
While there is no single cause for high cholesterol, there are some leading risk factors for developing it. These include:
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Smoking – Cigarette smoke damages the walls of your blood vessels, which makes them more prone to accumulate fatty deposits. Smoking can also lower your level of HDL cholesterol.
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Diabetes – High blood sugar can damage the lining of your arteries. It also contributes to higher levels of dangerous cholesterol called very-low-density lipoprotein and lower HDL cholesterol.
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Obesity – Having a body mass index of 30 or greater puts you at risk of high cholesterol.
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Direct Signs Of Heart Problems
Many heart-related body cues are closely linked to inadequate blood flow through the arteries to the heart. But signs like these may not seem obviously connected to the heart.
Jaw and neck pain. Chest pain doesnt always center on the heart. Its of concern when it radiates to the jaw and neck from the chest.
Nausea and bloating. Women in particular often describe this kind of discomfort, which can include vomiting, before they feel chest pain.
Overall fatigue. When your heart cant pump effectively, less blood flows to your lungs and your muscles. Shortness of breath and fatigue when doing everyday activities, such as climbing stairs or walking across a parking lot, is a red flag.
Q& A: What Signs of Heart Disease Can a Test Detect?
Testing can reveal markers for heart disease that have no visible symptoms, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. A coronary calcium scan provides a picture of buildup in the arteries. All these tests can help identify high-risk individuals who can be treated appropriately before they have a serious event, says Johns Hopkins expert Parag Joshi, M.D.
Johns Hopkins research has found that an ultrafast CT scanner can accurately sort out which people with chest pain need an invasive procedure, such as bypass surgery, to restore blood flow to the heart.
Less Direct Signs of Heart Problems
If You Are Suffering From High Blood Pressure Or You Are Obese Or If You Smoke Then It Is Important To Take Care Of Your Health This Can Lead To High Cholesterol
High cholesterol is a major cause behind a lot of diseases
Symptoms
On a typical note, high cholesterol doesn’t have any symptoms but unfortunately, it causes emergency. Due to high cholesterol, a person may get stroke or heart attack. These occur when high cholesterol lets a formation of plaque in the arteries. Plaque narrows arteries so lesser amount of blood can pass by. This plaque formation changes the makeup of the arterial lining and this leads to serious complications. You are required to do a blood test to know if the cholesterol is too high. If you showcase the following symptoms then you should take it seriously:
- High blood pressure
Some of the causes of high cholesterol are:
1. Genetic conditions
It is a condition that passes through genes causing high cholesterol. This condition is called as familial hypercholesterolemia. People who have this condition have cholesterol levels of 300 mg/dL or higher. These can lead to xanthoma that appears in a form of yellow patch above the skin, or a lump underneath the skin.
2. Coronary artery disease
It is considered to be one of the prime reasons of deaths among both men and women. Some of the symptoms include chest pain, nausea, extreme fatigue, and shortness of breath, upper abdomen back, and neck pain
3. Stroke
Stroke is considered to be a medical emergency. It is important to seek medical attention if you feel symptoms like sudden loss of balance, dizziness, confusion, severe headache, inability to move etc.
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Unfortunately These Drugs Can Be An Insidious Cause Of Fatigue
Statin medications are in the top 3 of most prescribed medications. More than thirty million Americans are currently taking cholesterol medication. In Canada, one in ten people is taking a statin drug. But doctors feel that number should be closer to one in four people. Thats 25% of the Canadian population!
Lipitor is thought to be the best selling medication in history. In 2008, Lipitor alone reached sales of more than $12 billion. Clearly, these drugs are prescribed at incredibly high rates.
Perhaps the surge in cholesterol medication use could be behind the high levels of fatigue purported by many North American citizens.
Ruling Out Secondary Causes Of High Cholesterol And Triglycerides
If your doctor rules out the other causes of raised cholesterol and triglycerides listed above, then the next step is to look for other possible explanations. These include inherited causes. Tell-tale signs of inherited high cholesterol or triglyceride include:
- close family members with high cholesterol or high triglyceride
- early heart disease in close family members
- an inherited blood fat condition in close family members.
There are over 100 genes that can affect how our bodies handle blood fats. Sometimes just one small change in a gene is enough to raise cholesterol or triglycerides to very high levels. Sometime inheriting a number of genes that each have a small effect can add up to cause problems.
Inherited conditions that cause high cholesterol and triglycerides
Familial Hypercholesterolaemia raised cholesterol caused by a single gene
Familial Chylomicronaemia triglyceride levels can be extremely high, caused by a single gene
Familial Combined Hyperlipidaemia this causes raised cholesterol and triglycerides
Type 3 Hyperlipidaemia this also causes raised cholesterol and triglycerides
Polygenic Hypercholesterolaemia raised cholesterol caused by a number of genes
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The Heart Of The Matter
Cholesterol affects every single cell, organ, and biological process that makes you you. Everyone has it, and everyone needs it but the goal is to have more of the good kind and less of the less-good kind.
High cholesterol usually shows up without warning there arent really any physical symptoms to rely on. If left untreated, high LDL cholesterol can lead to heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease.
Get a regular physical and blood test! Its the only reliable detection method.
High cholesterol is treatable. Its usually managed with medication and lifestyle changes. Theres a lot you can do to help prevent high cholesterol:
- Stick to a healthy diet.
- Get regular exercise.
How To Prevent High Cholesterol
As with many other conditions, preventing high cholesterol from occurring in the first place is better than a cure because of the range of controllable risk factors. To prevent high cholesterol, you should:
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Eat a nutritious diet low in fat and salt
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Avoid excessive alcohol consumption
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Quit or avoid taking up smoking
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Ensure you get regular exercise
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Manage your stress levels.
If you think you may be at risk of high cholesterol levels, or if you havent had your cholesterol levels checked recently, contact your GP today.
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Natural Remedies And Lowering Cholesterol
Its very important to talk to your health professional before using any:
- supplements
- natural remedies
- or complementary therapies.
Sometimes they can do more harm than good. They may interact with any medication that youre taking, which can be dangerous. They can also make your medication less effective. Your doctor needs to know everything that you are taking to ensure that the combination is safe.
If youve been prescribed cholesterol-lowering medication, make sure you take it as directed by your doctor. This is one of the most effective ways to keep your cholesterol levels down.
Hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal Axis Dysfunction
HPA-D also known as adrenal fatigue can cause elevation in cholesterol levels through several mechanisms.
- Cortisol which is the main stress hormone can lead to elevations in insulin leading to insulin resistance
- Poor sleep can lead to adrenal dysfunction, high cortisol and weight gain, another cause of insulin resistance
- Gut infections can cause high cortisol
- Stress from home or work like imbalance is another cause of high cortisol
- Chronic stress leads to inflammation one of the drivers behind oxidized LDL and heart disease.
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How Is Pad Detected
Talk to your doctor if you are having symptoms of PAD so the cause of your symptoms can be identified and treatment can be initiated as soon as possible. Early detection of PAD is important so the right treatments can be provided before the disease becomes severe enough to lead to complications, such as heart attack or stroke.
A physical exam will be performed and your medical history and risk factors will be reviewed. Your doctor may order certain tests to help diagnose PAD and determine the severity of the disease.
Ten Symptoms Of High Cholesterol You Shouldnt Ignore
09 December, 2020
Those who know they have a tendency to suffer symptoms from certain health problems are often concerned about it. Therefore, well focus on these below.
Cholesterol is a waxy substance present in the fats of the blood. Although many only know it for its harmful effects on health, in reality, its essential for the optimal functioning of our body.
Cholesterol is necessary for the production of bile, which is responsible for digesting fat. In addition, its also responsible for the production of some hormones and helpful for your cardiovascular health.
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What Exactly Is Cholesterol
Everyone has cholesterol, a yellowy-white wax-like lipid thats in every cell of your body. Cholesterol keeps your cells and organs working properly. It also plays a major role in hormone, vitamin, and digestive fluid production.
Cholesterol comes from two sources 80 percent is naturally produced by your liver and intestines, and your diet accounts for the last 20 percent.
High cholesterol is a creeper condition it usually doesnt have any symptoms. It can go undetected until you have blood work or a serious health event like a stroke or heart attack.
Physical Signs Of High Cholesterol You Should Know About
Cholesterol is a fatty substance which is developed naturally in the body. It performs several vital functions like rebuilding walls surrounding the bodys cells and converting basic materials into certain hormones.
You only need a small amount of cholesterol and almost all of them are produced by your body. Most of the cholesterol in your body is produced in your liver. The rest of them come from your diet. This kind of dietary cholesterol is present in foods such as eggs, meat, and dairy products.
If you have too much cholesterol in your bloodstream, you have high cholesterol. High cholesterol increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. For this reason, knowing the cholesterol levels in your blood is quite important to prevent any future heart disease and blockages of blood vessels.
There are two main types of cholesterol you should be aware of:
- high-density lipoprotein , or good cholesterol
In other words, high levels of LDL cholesterol can cause more plaque accumulation and increase the risk of a heart attack, stroke and other diseases. On the other hand, high levels of HDL cholesterol can actually help prevent heart attacks and strokes. HDL gains its good name by removing LDL cholesterol from the arteries and tissues and bringing it back to the liver where the excessive LDL cholesterol is broken down.
Risk Factors for High LDL Cholesterol
Physical Signs of High Cholesterol Levels
1. Sore Hands and Feet
2. Frequent Tingling
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Reasons Why You Dont Want Your Cholesterol Levels Too Low
We hear about cholesterol and how it leads to cardiovascular disease and now cancer. People have latched on to that and focused on reducing cholesterol levels using a frantic all-fat-is-bad mantra.
Lets go through this step by step so we can see what cholesterol really is and what is optimal for your health.
Living With High Cholesterol
If you have high cholesterol, you are twice as likely to develop heart disease. That is why it is important to have your cholesterol levels checked, especially if you have a family history of heart disease. Reducing your LDL bad cholesterol through good diet, exercise, and medicine can make a positive impact on your overall health.
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Understanding Ldl And Hdl Cholesterol
Balancing your cholesterol levels is one of the hardest parts of staying healthy. But that doesnt mean you shouldnt make the effort. Instead, the best way to control your cholesterol is to know everything about it both how it affects your body, and how you can manage it.
Dr. Michael Skardasis and his experienced team at Optimal Performance Medicine strive to provide you with the best information so you can live life at your healthiest. Heres what you need to know about cholesterol so you can support your body in the best way possible.
