What Are Some High Cholesterol Symptoms? How to Control It?

High cholesterol symptoms tend to be rare, though the problem itself is pretty common in the U.S.A. High cholesterol is often associated with many other medical problems, especially cardiovascular diseases.

In this article, we will discuss high cholesterol symptoms, causes, and effective natural ways that will help you to reverse this problem.

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What Is High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy substance like fat that is naturally produced by your liver. It is important for the production of certain hormones, cell membranes, and vitamin D. Our liver produces lipoproteins to help transport cholesterol since it does not dissolve in water and cannot travel through the body on its own.

Junk food can contribute to high cholesterol level (Image via Pexels/Edward Eyer)

Causes of High Cholesterol

One of the major causes of high cholesterol is eating a diet filled with foods high in trans fats, saturated fats, and cholesterol. There are certain other lifestyle changes, such as smoking and prolonged physical inactivity, which also contribute towards the risk of developing high cholesterol.

Genetics also contributes to the risk of developing high cholesterol. Hence, you may have a greater chance of having high cholesterol if any of your biological parents are suffering from the said problems. In this case, routine screening is extremely important.

Certain health problems like hypothyroidism and diabetes increase your chances of getting high cholesterol along with related complications.

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Signs of High Cholesterol

High cholesterol symptoms are rare. Sometimes even people with a healthy lifestyle can suffer from this problem. You generally won’t be able to know about them until they cause serious problems in your body. This is why it is important to get regular screenings of cholesterol levels. If left untreated, high cholesterol can suddenly lead to a heart stroke or attack.

People with a family history of high cholesterol and diagnosed with diabetes have an increased chance of developing high cholesterol.

If high cholesterol symptoms are not diagnosed in a timely manner, then it increases the risk of conditions like heart stroke, high blood pressure, peripheral artery disease, and more.

In the case of familial hypercholesterolemia, there are some visible high cholesterol symptoms. These include:

High Cholesterol Symptoms Eyes – These include corneal arcus and xanthelasmas. Corneal arcus causes the formation of a pale white ring around your iris, while xanthelasmas cause the formation of yellow and small lumps near the inner corner of your eyes.

High Cholesterol Symptoms Feet – Also referred to as tendon xanthomata, which causes swelling from the cholesterol around your Achilles tendon and your knees.

Signs of High Cholesterol on Face – There is no known high cholesterol symptoms for face in case of the familial hypercholesterolemia.

Exercise can help in reducing cholesterol level (Image via Pexels/Nathan Cowley)

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How to Lower Cholesterol Naturally

Here are some of the measures that you can take to lower your cholesterol naturally:

Dietary Changes – Make sure to restrict your consumption of trans fats and saturated fats from your diet since they are a major contributing factor to high cholesterol symptoms. Limit your intake of processed and fried foods. Processed foods tend to be rich in sodium and sugar, which is why it is important to check nutritional information beforehand.

Regular exercise – Being inactive for a prolonged period of time is not only bad for your heart health but it also negatively impacts your overall well being.

Effective stress management – There are relaxation techniques and yoga exercises for stress which you can try to incorporate into your regular routine.

Stop smoking – Smoking is one of the leading risk factors for cardiovascular and blood vessel problems.

Since high cholesterol symptoms are more often silent, it is important to get regular cholesterol screenings, especially if you are a patient at risk.

If lifestyle changes are not enough to lower your cholesterol levels, then you can also consult a health professional for medications and required tests. This will help in ensuring that you keep high cholesterol levels in check.