High Cholesterol: Symptoms And Causes

Cholesterol is considered important for the formation of vitamin D, certain hormones and cell membranes. It is a fatlike, waxy substance that your liver produces. Particles called as lipoproteins assist in transporting cholesterol through your bloodstream. There are two types of lipoproteins - Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and High-density lipoproteins (HDL). LDL is associated with serious health problems such as stroke or heart attack. HDL helps in returning the LDL cholesterol to the liver for complete elimination. This features talks about the causes and symptoms of high cholesterol.

Symptoms

On a typical note, high cholesterol doesn't have any symptoms but unfortunately, it causes emergency. Due to high cholesterol, a person may get stroke or heart attack. These occur when high cholesterol lets a formation of plaque in the arteries. Plaque narrows arteries so lesser amount of blood can pass by. This plaque formation changes the makeup of the arterial lining and this leads to serious complications. You are required to do a blood test to know if the cholesterol is too high. If you showcase the following symptoms then you should take it seriously:

• High blood pressure
• Obese
• Smoke

Some of the causes of high cholesterol are:

1. Genetic conditions

It is a condition that passes through genes causing high cholesterol. This condition is called as familial hypercholesterolemia. People who have this condition have cholesterol levels of 300 mg/dL or higher. These can lead to xanthoma that appears in a form of yellow patch above the skin, or a lump underneath the skin.

2. Coronary artery (heart) disease

It is considered to be one of the prime reasons of deaths among both men and women. Some of the symptoms include chest pain, nausea, extreme fatigue, and shortness of breath, upper abdomen back, and neck pain

3. Stroke

Stroke is considered to be a medical emergency. It is important to seek medical attention if you feel symptoms like sudden loss of balance, dizziness, confusion, severe headache, inability to move etc.

4. Heart attack

The arteries which supply blood to the heart slowly narrow because plaque. Some of the symptoms include anxiety, difficulty in breathing, dizziness, excessive fatigue etc.

5. Peripheral arterial disease

It occurs when plaque develops in the walls of arteries. This blocks the blood flow to the arms, kidneys, legs, stomach, and feet. Some of the symptoms include achiness, cramping, fatigue, discomfort in the legs and feet and pain in the legs during any exercise.