Symptoms of High Cholesterol - Cholesterol is a fatty substance known as a lipid and has an important role in keeping your body functioning normally. Produced in the liver and can also be supplied from some type of food consumed.
Cholesterol is circulated in the blood with help of proteins, and when both of them have already joined will be a lipoprotein. When both of them have already joined will be a lipoprotein. There are two types of lipoprotein, the first is LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) - called bad cholesterol - HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) - also called good cholesterol that can dissolve bad cholesterol forming plaque deposits in the walls of blood vessels that lead to atherosclerosis - both of which are in the body.
The excess of cholesterol levels in the blood (hyperlipidemia) can adversely affect your health. Worse, when the levels of cholesterol in the blood already exceeds the limit of normal (160-200 mg), there is no any symptoms are perceived (although actually there), and this can threaten your health condition. To find out, the measurement can be done with a blood test and can also be reviewed on lifestyle and family medical history.
Although it was said that there are no symptoms of high cholesterol, actually there are several indicators that determine a person has excessive cholesterol levels. Here are the symptoms of high cholesterol which if it is ignored can clog arteries and lead to heart disease.
1. Pain in the legs
The common symptoms of cholesterol are claudication, which is a pain in the legs or appeared discomfort in the legs. This is caused by clogged of arteries, so that blood flow to the legs that ought to be blocked. Some people reported that his legs feel heavy when used.
The pain may spread in the whole of legs, such as calves, thighs, even up to the buttocks. Will be lost if it is not used to move or walk, and then appeared again when used in a long time.
2. Changing of nail
Because the nail does not get enough blood supply due to impaired blood circulation, there will be changes as nails thicken and grow more slowly when you cut.
3. Changing of skin
Doctors often check cholesterol in people who have complained of feeling some others symptoms of high cholesterol to ensure the way by lifting or hang up or put your feet on the table or bench.
Initially, the legs will be white due to impaired blood flow. But, eventually, will occur color changes to red or purplish because the blood vessels dilation and blood began to flow to the legs.
4. Legs become cold
This indicator cannot determine with certainty, because for some people also often feel cold when touched her legs, even when you're not sick (possibly the temperature factor in the area of residence).
However, Dr. Schneider urged everyone to be more vigilant when cold only in one leg, it is most likely signs of an excessive amount of lipids in the blood. If you experience symptoms of this one, immediately consult a doctor for more information and certainty.
5. Slow wound healing process
This symptom of cholesterol is related to the characteristics of people with diabetes, injuries (especially in the legs) will be the longer time to heal. The decrease in circulation becomes sluggish recovery because of injury, or even it’s fast but not immediately recovered.
6. Numb
A woman once complained that some of his finger numbness and she considers it is a sign of high purine substances cause gout. However, after visiting the doctor, it turns numb is the impact once the symptoms of high cholesterol.
7. Diarrhea
In metabolizing fat, the body has the ability to absorb one-third of the cholesterol from food consumed. Normally, the liver can produce the cholesterol according to the needs of the body, but in certain circumstances, the liver is unable to recognize the need to experience problems in metabolizing fat.
In the condition in which the body cannot metabolize fats completely, would potentially cause problems in the digestive system and absorption, so the symptoms of excessive diarrhea are one effect.
8. Fatigue with a migraine
Although it is not a symptom that must happen, but when viewed from the trigger that disruption of fat metabolism process would also affect the digestive system. Food which is consumed not digested properly so that it accumulates in the digestive tract. The satiety which appeared will send a signal to your brain to not increase the intake from the outside so that they appear a lethargic and even migraine because in fact the body is starved of energy.
9. Interfere with the brain, trigger emotions, and memory abilities decline
The brain is part of the body that becomes a repository of cholesterol mostly, about 25%. Therefore, it is not optimal to make the production process of fat metabolism impaired blood cholesterol. If the LDL cholesterol levels higher than HDL cholesterol, the brain will receive effects such as memory loss, easy emotion, and trigger Alzheimer's disease along with other neurological diseases.
10. Flatulence
Because there are problems with digesting food and metabolize fat, gastrointestinal tract will store the excess gas is inhibited in the intestinal tract that leads to the stomach area. From there the beginning of a problem appeared such as a bloated abdomen or chest.
11. Overweight
Besides gas, certainly, a fat also accumulate in the abdominal area as a side effect of the disruption of fat metabolism. By doing so, the weight will increase and lead to obesity because fat cells become more and more, even potentially obese.
12. Heartaches or has palpitations (a pounding)
Excess of cholesterol will inhibit blood circulation due to the narrowing of blood vessels in the body which have high cholesterol. Because of these activities will give signals to the heart working harder to pump the blood to flow normally. Side effects are felt by the patient is a pain in the heart and sometimes feel like a pounding of panic.
13. Appeared a bump on some parts of the body
A situation where there is the accumulation of fat resulting in the formation of a bump which lies between the muscles and skin are medically mentioned as a lipoma. These lumps usually appear on the neck, arms, abdomen, and legs with small shapes and soft, about an inch in diameter, and the center of the tumor under the skin.
If you feel some symptoms of high cholesterol as mentioned above, you should consult your doctor to know for certainty what is happening to your body. If it is true that your bad cholesterol levels higher than HDL would need medical help to overcome them. Doctors usually advise people with cholesterol-lowering food consumption.
