Lower Your Cholesterol

How to Recognize a Symptom Of High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is an essential substance in our body which contributes to producing a number of hormones and cell membrane however, when in high levels it can clog our arteries and lead to coronary heart attack.

Risks Of A High Cholesterol Level

Having a high cholesterol level is the leading cause for heart disease and stroke among both men and women. So it is important that we all educate ourselves on the issue of cholesterol, as well as on the measures that we can take in order to lower levels if we need to.

Consquences of Having A High Cholesterol Level

Although it is true that there are actually both good and bad types of cholesterol, if you have high levels overall, then you are in danger of many different health problems. For instance, when there is too much cholesterol in your blood it builds up on the walls of your arteries and this can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

A high cholestrol level is something which actually does not appear with many symptoms so you could have it and not know about it because you do not feel as though there is anything wrong with you. In fact, there are thousands of people out there today who have no idea that their cholesterol is too high and thus are truly unhealthy but do not have a clue.

This is why it is so important to make sure you get regular checkups so your doctor can tell you if your cholesterol is at a healthy level or not. You can also get your doctor to explain the different numbers that are involved in regards to your cholesterol levels so you will have a better understanding as to what cholesterol is and why it can be extremely dangerous your levels are too high.

It is a good idea to take this aspect of your health very seriously as it is an extremely serious situation and when your cholesterol is too high. You could be exposing yourself to a life-threatening situation without knowing it. Therefore, you need to immediately take steps in regards to lowering your cholesterol as quickly and yet as healthily as you possibly can.

There are several things in particular that you can do in order lower your cholesterol such as eating healthier and getting more physical activity, for example. You want to especially try and steer clear of saturated fats in your diet as this is the main cause of a rising cholesterol level overall. So although you do need fats in your diet, try to stay away from anything that is too high in saturated fat and that will help reduce your high cholesterol level.

If you are looking for one main cause of high cholesterol, then you are in for a big surprise, because there is more than one and each of them is as important as the other. Cholesterol causes can be divided into two types: ones you can control and ones you can't.

Causes of High Cholesterol That You Cannot Control

There are always things that you can and cannot help. In this case, there are causes that are beyond your power to control, such as your age, gender, and genes. You cannot help it if you are a male and by default fall into the high category of bad cholesterol; you cannot help it if you are growing old and slowly building up cholesterol because of your increasing age; and lastly, you cannot help it if you carry the bad cholesterol genes causing the liver to produce more than the required amount of cholesterol.

Men usually have higher cholesterol levels than women until age fifty, after which women overtake men in the reading of cholesterol. However, because men tend to have cholesterol from their thirties onwards, the medical guidelines have put them in the higher danger bracket.

Causes of High Cholesterol That Can Be Controlled

There are always some parameters by which you can control your health. With cholesterol, the parameters usually converge upon your intake and the way you treat your body. Hence, the major areas that you can help are in your diet, weight, stress level, and the amount of intoxicants you take (smoking, alcohol, etc).

Diet is the most important factor and the most powerful for controlling cholesterol. Today it is not difficult to adopt a cholesterol free diet because the market is full of products that will help you keep your body cholesterol free.  If the diet is healthy you will have 90% of the battle won. The last 10% will depend upon the other factors.

Now, if you maintain a cholesterol free diet, your weight will also be in control. But if you are already overweight and are trying to control your diet, then you will have to take the advice and help of a nutritionist and/or medical practitioner to reduce your weight to the acceptable limits. Being overweight is one of the main causes for compounding heart problems.