What Are the Symptoms of High Cholesterol?
What Are the Symptoms of High Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in the body. Cholesterol is necessary for the body to function but in small quantities. It is used to produce many hormones necessary for the body to digest fat. An excessive amount of cholesterol in the blood or arterial walls will cause them to shrink and become narrow interfering with the normal follow of blood.
High blood cholesterol does not have any symptoms. It is usually detected during a routine blood test for some other reason. Overweight people tend to have high blood cholesterol and should have regular blood tests run to insure that it does not reach dangerous levels. People whose family have a history of high blood cholesterol or have had heart attacks should also test themselves regularly to avoid complications.
There are no symptoms for high blood cholesterol but a person is able to determine the need for blood testing by looking at himself and his activities. People who do not have active lives, who do not exercise are liable to have high cholesterol. A saturated fat diet is also a very good reason to test for high cholesterol.
Age is also an influencing factor. Before menopause women tend to have lower levels of cholesterol than men, even if they are overweight. Once menopause sets in their cholesterol tends to rise and surpass men’s levels at the same age. Regular testing should be had by men and women over the age of forty years old which is when cholesterol starts to settle in mostly due to the fact that at this age is when they start settling down and have more sedentary life styles,
Studies have also shown that taking one or two drinks a day is beneficial to cholesterol levels but more than this is not. Any person who is a habitual drinker should also test his or her cholesterol levels ever so often. Since there are no symptoms and people do not feel pain or discomfort due to high cholesterol anyone can suffer a heart attack without knowing what caused it.
Stress is also considered a promoter of high cholesterol. Stress raises blood pressure and many people also tend to eat their hearts out when they are stressed. Studies show that a person put under stress will experience a raise of cholesterol during the stressful time which will return to normal when the person is again calm and collected.
It has no visible symptoms so the sure way to prevent it is to have an orderly healthy diet. Exercise whenever possible and as often as possible. Try to remain calm, stress will not solve the problem, it is most likely that you will find a solution if you remain calm. If there are members of the family who have suffered heart attacks or have been diagnosed with high blood cholesterol it is recommended the testing be done regularly to determine the person’s condition and cholesterol level.
