Health Disease

Your body is the most priceless possession. After all, you have to dwell in it! So take care of it with a right Health Insurance Plan.

  • REACH OUT

    Need Help in choosing right product

ORplease reach out to us at (022) 4891 3051

What is High Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is nothing but a waxy, fatlike substance which is produced by your liver. These are important for the formation of Vitamin D, cell membranes, and certain other hormones. Since cholesterol can’t dissolve in water, it cannot travel through the body by itself. Your body does not need much cholesterol, and therefore any excess amounts get deposited along the artery walls lining thereby decreasing the amount of blood flow to the different parts of the body. High cholesterol leads to risky diseases such as atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) that includes, stroke, heart attack and peripheral artery disease. Some of the foods containing high cholesterol include, bacon, egg yolks, shrimp, butter, pies, cakes, etc.

Causes of High Cholesterol

Your liver functions by produces cholesterol, however you also get enough cholesterol from food. Thus, if you indulge in eating too many foods which are high in fats will lead to an increase in your cholesterol level.

If you are inactive and are overweight too, you may get high cholesterol. Levels of triglycerides are higher if you are overweight. Therefore, not exercising and being inactive overall, may lead to lowering of your HDL (good cholesterol).

In case your family has a history of high cholesterol, you may also get affected by the same. Usually, high cholesterol run in families. So, you may have high cholesterol in case your immediate family member has it too. You may not be aware, but, smoking too promotes high cholesterol since it lowers your HDL which is known as good cholesterol.

Types of High Cholesterol

The cholesterol is transported through the bloodstream with the help of the particles known as lipoproteins. There are basically two major forms of lipoproteins. The low-density lipoproteins also called as ‘bad cholesterol’ are build up in the arteries and later lead to some serious health problems such as heart attack or stroke. The high-density lipoproteins are also known as ‘good cholesterol’ and they may help in returning the LDL cholesterol back to the liver for the purpose of elimination.

If you indulge in too many foods which contain higher amounts of fats, this would lead to an increase in the level of LDL cholesterol in your blood. This is called as high cholesterol. This condition is also known as hypercholesterolemia or hyperlipidemia.

In case the LDL levels of cholesterol are pretty high, or the levels of HDL cholesterol are very low, fatty deposits start building up in your blood vessels. These deposits will then make it further difficult for enough blood to flow via your arteries. This could therefore cause problems in your entire body, specifically in your heart and brain, and hence it could be fatal.

Treatment

What should you do in case your high cholesterol worsens?

In case your high cholesterol worsens, all you may do is visit a healthcare specialist at the earliest, who may suggest certain lifestyle changes and medications depending on the severity of your condition.

What are the available high cholesterol treatment options?

In case you have high cholesterol, you may inculcate some good and healthy lifestyle changes. This is one of the effective ways of high cholesterol treatment. You can quit smoking, cut-down on alcohol levels, reduce at least 10 pounds of excess weight, exercise regularly and eat healthy food. Ensure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains and fish. Your doctor may recommend certain medications as well as some lifestyle changes as high cholesterol treatment depending on the risk factors and considering how high your cholesterol levels are.

Are there any natural or homemade remedies for high cholesterol?

You may wonder how to reduce cholesterol. However, there are so many healthy food and healthy lifestyle changes that you can make in your daily life, to reduce cholesterol: Mentioned below are some of the home remedies for reducing high cholesterol:

  • Consume Garlic
  • Avoid Trans fats such as pastries, cookies
  • Consume soluble fiber such as probiotics
  • Exercise regularly
  • Quit smoking and drinking alcohol
  • Reduce weight
  • Fish with omega-3 fatty acids
  • Eat flaxseed
  • Eat Red yeast rice
  • Have Plant sterol and stanol supplements

When to see a doctor?

You should ask your doctor in case you need to get a cholesterol test done. Children as well as young adults that have no risk factors for heart diseases are generally tested once when they are aged between 9 and 11 years and repeated again when they are aged between 17 and 19 years. In case of adults that have no risk factors for sheart diseases are generally asked to repeat the test every five years.

Your doctor may also ask you to carry on more-frequent measurements, if your cholesterol isn’t in place. Also, if you have a family history of high cholesterol, diabetes and heart diseases, you may be asked to conduct frequent cholesterol tests.

Success!







Contact Us

We want to hear from you