- How to confirm if it is high cholesterol
- What causes high cholesterol
- How high cholesterol is treated
Symptoms of high cholesterol, in general, do not exist, being only possible to identify the problem through blood test. However, excess cholesterol can lead to a deposit of fat in the liver, which, in some people, can generate signs such as:
- Balls of fat on the skin, known as xanthelasma; Swelling of the abdomen for no apparent reason; Increased sensitivity in the belly area.
Xanthelasma is formed in the tendons and skin and is characterized by the appearance of bumps of various sizes, usually pink and with well-defined edges. They appear in groups, in a certain region, such as on the forearm, hands or around the eyes, as shown in the image:
Abdominal swelling and tenderness in this region are usually caused by an enlarged liver and spleen that occurs when blood triglyceride concentrations reach values close to or above 800 mg / dl of blood, and may even produce other symptoms such as severe abdominal pain and frequent nausea.
Since cholesterol levels have to be very high for these symptoms to appear, most of the time the person doesn't even know they have high cholesterol, which facilitates their progression.
How to confirm if it is high cholesterol
The only reliable way to confirm whether cholesterol is high or not is through a blood test to assess the amounts of total, bad, good and triglyceride cholesterol.
This test is relatively simple, but it should be done with a 12-hour fast to ensure that the results are correct. Check which values of your test may indicate high cholesterol.
What causes high cholesterol
The main cause of high cholesterol is having an unhealthy diet, rich in fatty foods such as yellow cheeses, sausages, fried foods or processed products, which causes blood cholesterol to rise too fast, not allowing the body to eliminate it properly..
However, lack of exercise or unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking or drinking alcohol also increase your risk of having more bad cholesterol.
In addition, there are still people who suffer from hereditary high cholesterol, which happens even when they are careful with their food and exercise, being related to a genetic tendency to the disease and which normally also affects other family members.
How high cholesterol is treated
The best way to reduce high cholesterol and avoid the use of medication is to exercise regularly and eat healthy, low in fat and with plenty of fruits and vegetables. In addition, there are also some home remedies that can help detoxify the body and liver, eliminating excess cholesterol, such as mate tea or artichoke, for example. See some recipes for home remedies to lower high cholesterol.
However, there are cases in which it is very difficult to reduce cholesterol, so the doctor may prescribe the use of some cholesterol drugs, such as simvastatin or atorvastatin, which help the body to eliminate cholesterol, especially in cases of high cholesterol hereditary. Check out a more complete list of remedies used in treatment.
It is important to lower high cholesterol because it can have serious health consequences that include atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, heart failure and heart attack.
Also check out some homemade recipes indicated by Nutritionist Tatiana Zanin to control cholesterol in the following video:
A good tip to reduce cholesterol is carrot juice that helps in the blood purification process, acting directly on the liver, thus reducing cholesterol levels.
