Uncontrolled high cholesterol levels can cause dangerous diseases, such as stroke, heart attack, and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Therefore, it is important for you to know the signs of high cholesterol in order to avoid these diseases.
Actually cholesterol is not always bad for your body, because actually the body needs these substances to support metabolic processes, build new cells, help produce vitamin D, and form hormones.
Unfortunately, unhealthy lifestyles are often the main factor causing increased levels of cholesterol in the blood. If this condition continues, cholesterol will form plaque that can inhibit blood flow, thus triggering heart disease and blood vessels.
Signs of High Cholesterol
Indeed there are no "typical" complaints that can describe high levels of cholesterol with certainty. Even so, there are some symptoms that are often felt when a person experiences high cholesterol, including:
1. Pain in the neck
Although it can be caused by many things, such as muscle and nerve pain, in fact this complaint is quite often experienced by people who experience high cholesterol. This is associated with plaque buildup in blood vessels in the neck area. Plaque buildup can block the flow of blood in the neck and head to the brain.
2. Easily feel tired and painful in the legs
Plaque in blood vessels that appear as a result of high cholesterol levels in the blood can cause reduced blood flow to body tissues. This is what ultimately makes high cholesterol sufferers more easily feel tired. In addition, if this plaque buildup occurs in a vein in the leg, then the sufferer's foot area can feel heavy, painful, and even sore as if burning.
3. Pain in the chest
When cholesterol levels are too high, plaque buildup can also occur in the heart's blood vessels. This can interfere, even inhibit blood flow to the heart.
One complaint that generally arises due to this is pain in the chest. Even if the blockage is total, this can cause a heart attack.
Prevents high cholesterol
To avoid the effects of high cholesterol which can be dangerous, you are advised to take the following preventative steps:
1. Adjust your diet
One way that can be done to prevent high cholesterol is to regulate a healthier diet. Start by reducing the amount of consumption of saturated and trans fats, which are contained in fast food.
Instead, choose foods that are low in fat or contain healthy fats, such as fish, boiled or roasted chicken breasts, low-fat milk, beans, and green vegetables.
2. Stop smoking
Smoking can increase the risk of cholesterol plaque forming in blood vessels. Therefore, stop smoking to reduce the risk of accumulation of plaque due to high cholesterol.
3. Exercise regularly
In addition to doing both of the above, to prevent an increase in cholesterol levels and help reduce cholesterol levels you are also advised to exercise regularly.
Signs of high cholesterol can sometimes not be felt directly. So if you have risk factors such as unhealthy habits or eating patterns, smoking, obesity, or have experienced the complaints described above, do a health check with your doctor regularly. This is needed to determine cholesterol levels and prevent complications due to high cholesterol levels.
