What is high cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy type of fat, or lipid, substance that is produce by your liver. It is main part for the formation of cell membranes, vitamin D, and certain hormones. Cholesterol is not water soluble fat so it can’t travel throughout the body. You can also get it from food. Cholesterol is found in foods that we get from animals.

The total cholesterol types are:

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is also known as “bad cholesterol”. It brings cholesterol to your arteries. In case of high LDL cholesterol, it starts deposit on the arterial wall. This deposition is called plaque. Due to this plaque arteries become smaller, which slow blood flow, and raise risk of blood clots. If  blood clots occur in brain or heart artery, than this can cause stroke and heart attack.

High-density lipoproteins (HDL)  also known as “good cholesterol.” It brings cholesterol from the other part of your body back to your liver. Your liver than remove the cholesterol from your body. This also prevents accumulation of cholesterol in your arteries. Normal level of HDL cholesterol, help lower your risk of heart disease, blood clots and stroke.

Triglycerides are different from cholesterol. Triglycerides are used as a source of energy. When you eat more calories than your body converts these calories into triglycerides. These triglycerides stores in fat cells.

If you continuously eat more calories than your body use it and your triglyceride level may become high. Due to this heart disease and stroke can occur.

 Normal value of cholesterol is required to make hormones, digestive fluid and vitamin D.

High cholesterol symptoms 

Cholesterol is a silent disease. Many people not known that they have cholesterol. Many people not aware about their symptoms until they develop serious complications, such as heart disease and stroke.

Physically effect of cholesterol  When cholesterol level raises it deposit in your blood vessels in fat form. These deposits limit the blood flow in your arteries. Sometime these deposits break immediately in the form of clot and become the reason of heart attack and stroke.

Complications of high cholesterol

When cholesterol raises and deposit arteries in plaque form if you don’t treat this condition over time, this plaque cans smaller the diameter of arteries. This condition is known as atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis cause many life threatening complications such as:

·         Chronic kidney diseases

·         Heart attack

·         Stroke

·         Chest pain

·         High blood pressure

High cholesterol also cause gallstone by unbalancing bile.

Checked your cholesterol level

American Heart Association recommends your cholesterol level checked at least once every 4to 6 years, in 20 years of adult. If you have family history of cholesterol and other heart diseases, your doctor recommends you cholesterol level tested regularly.

Your doctor measures your cholesterol level by lipid panel. In case of high LDL cholesterol or total cholesterol level your doctor diagnose you a high cholesterol level.IN case of high level of LDL and low level of HDL such type of high cholesterol can be very dangerous.

The panel gives you the following numbers:

• LDL levels.
• HDL levels.
• VLDL levels and triglycerides
• Non-HDL cholesterol.
• Ratio between cholesterol and HDL
• Total cholesterol.

There are advanced tests that break down the size and shapes of LDL cholesterol levels, and also give the LDL particle number, but those are not normally ordered. Some test makers say that the more advanced tests are better at indicating who is at risk for heart disease, but most providers still feel that the usual tests are adequate.

Some advance tests are also available which give the shape of LDL cholesterol level, and LDL particle number. such type of tests mostly specify for heart diseases.

How to lower cholesterol

In case of high cholesterol, you must change your life style for lower it. These changes recommend by your doctor in which your diet, exercise must be planned. Your doctor also prescribes you some medicines.

Lowering cholesterol through diet

Following diet you can use for balance you cholesterol level:

·         Limit your saturated fats and Trans fats (red meat, egg yolk)

·         Choose chicken, fish and legumes

·         Avoid Bakes, steamed, grilled and roasted foods

·         Eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grain

·         Avoid fast food and sugary foods

·         Eating fish omega_3 fatty acids may help to reduce LDL cholesterol.

Home remedies to lower cholesterol naturally

In some cases, you may lower your cholesterol through diet without taking any medications. Some herbal nutritional supplements can lower your cholesterol level such as:

·         Astragals

·         Plant sterol and stanol supplements

·         Hawthorn

·         Garlic

·         Red yeast rice

·         Psyllium seed husk

Takeaway

In most cases, high cholesterol has no symptoms. But without treatment, high cholesterol can cause serious health issues. The good news is that your doctor can help you manage this condition, and in many cases, can help you avoid complications.

Some time, in most cases cholesterol has no symptoms. But high cholesterol can cause serious health issues without any treatment. Please contact your doctor in case of any mild symptoms and avoid from further complication of cholesterol.