Symptoms of High Cholesterol

Unfortunately, the symptoms of high cholesterol levels,,signs of high cholesterol do not announce themselves as dramatically as the signs of other diseases.

Our bodies require cholesterol which is a kind of fat for body functions such as manufacturing new cells. Our body either manufactures the cholesterol that is needed or receives it from the fats we eat. If the body has an overabundance of cholesterol, the fat accumulates in the blood vessels whose function it is to carry blood from the heart. The build up of cholesterol is generally a slow process known as hardening of the arteries that progressively worsens as we age.

Checking your cholesterol level is a good idea especially if any of the following 5 causes of high cholesterol applies to you:

* Eat fast food regularly

* Smoke tobacco

* Eat fatty meats such as bacon, pork chops, and ribs

* Inactive

* Overweight

How to Recognize the Symptoms of High Cholesterol:

Signs of heart disease:

* Chest pain or pressure

* Nausea, shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, and heart palpitations.

* Tingling in the lower extremities.

Symptoms of a stroke:

* Numbness or weakness of face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.

* Confusion or difficulty speaking

* Sudden trouble with vision

* Loss of balance, lack of coordination

* Nausea, vomiting, fever, fainting, convulsions, and even coma.

There are usually no symptoms of high cholesterol because the condition does not typically make you feel ill. However, if cholesterol is allowed to accumulate in the arteries, it may block blood flowing to the brain or heart causing a stroke or heart attack. It is very important to have your blood tested for high cholesterol because it may be already causing your arteries to clog. It is a good idea to start prevention even if you show no symptoms of high cholesterol.

Natural remedies for preventing high cholesterol:

Dutch researchers measured cholesterol levels of people who switched to unfiltered coffee and discovered drinking unfiltered coffee may raise your blood cholesterol level.

Compared with the participants in the study who continued to drink filtered coffee, the unfiltered coffee drinker's cholesterol climbed up to 20 points. The theory behind the jump is there are two compounds that are typically trapped by coffee filters which have been shown to raise cholesterol levels and affect the function of the liver which metabolizes cholesterol.

In medical studies, the type of fiber found in oat bran and barley was shown to help cut bad cholesterol. When participants ate six grams a day, their LDL cholesterol dropped in five short weeks as much as 24%.

Pomegranates slow the oxidation and accumulation of cholesterol in your arteries by 50% and additionally may help lower blood pressure.

Avocados are packed with heart-healthy omega-9 fatty acids and rich in a compound which has been known to lower cholesterol. Reducing cholesterol levels prevents heart attacks. If diet and exercise are not enough, there are safe and effective medications available.

Because there are no outward symptoms of high cholesterol, you need to have a medical check up that includes measuring your cholesterol levels. While there are no symptoms of high cholesterol, you can see the end-result of high cholesterol on health. The effects of high cholesterol are stroke and heart attack.

Treatment Options for the symptoms of high cholesterol

Your doctor will provide two basic ways with which to counteract your high cholesterol levels - adapt lifestyle changes and take medications on a regular basis. The main goal of said treatment is to lessen your chances of contracting heart diseases that can lead to heart attacks and to strokes.

Lifestyle changes include adopting a diet of more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fishes and olive oil. Red meat, dairy products like milk, cheese and eggs, foods with saturated fats and trans-fats are significantly reduced, if not totally eliminated, from the diet. You will also be asked to engage in regular exercise and to lose weight. Keep in mind that a sedentary lifestyle and obesity are also considered risk factors for high cholesterols levels.

Your doctor may prescribe medications to lower blood cholesterol levels when your lifestyle changes do not accomplish the trick in 6 months although these medications may also be prescribed at the very start. These medications work by either reducing the amount of cholesterol that your liver produces or reducing the amount of dietary cholesterol absorbed from food. You may be asked to take niacin, bile-acid sequestrants and statins, to name a few medications.

In conclusion, you can prevent the onset of the symptoms of high cholesterol when you adopt a healthy diet low in bad fat and cholesterol, engage in plenty of exercise, manage your weight and stop smoking cigarettes. Indeed, why wait for the symptoms of high cholesterol to affect your life when you can prevent them in the first place?

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