High Cholesterol

What is high cholesterol?

High cholesterol causes fatty deposits to build up in your blood vessels. This can lead to cardiovascular disease and even heart attack.

Put simply, high cholesterol is directly linked to having a diet that is high in fat. One of the best ways to lower cholesterol, therefore, is to maintain a nutritious and balanced diet that is low in fat. This combined with regular exercise will help prevent the fatty deposits from building up in your blood vessels.

Although high cholesterol can be the underlying cause for a range of symptoms, some people are only made aware of their high cholesterol after a confirmed diagnosis of heart disease has been established. This is why it is essential to have your cholesterol levels monitored and checked at regular intervals by your GP.

Symptoms (related to coronary heart disease and stroke, etc.)

In the realm of medical conditions, high cholesterol can not be categorised as a condition by itself. However, as the fatty deposits build up in your blood vessels, these channels becomes narrower, affecting the flow of blood to and from the heart. This insufficient flow can lead to a range of cardiovascular conditions and diseases such as coronary heart disease and stroke.

Coronary heart disease: When your heart's blood supply is blocked or interrupted by a build-up of unwanted fatty substances and cholesterol in your coronary arteries, coronary heart disease can develop. As the arteries become clogged up, the heart’s blood supply is seriously affected and so therefore the heart no longer functions properly. This causes the onset of a range of symptoms which for many people can be frightening.

Symptoms of coronary heart disease include:

An unusual shortness of breath when carrying out even light tasks. This can occur gradually as you perform the task(s), or there can be a sudden onset of breathlessness

Increased heart-rate which can escalate to the level of rapid and worryingly forceful palpitations

Chest pain

Tightness in the chest

Fatigue and a feeling of faintness

Dizziness

Sweating

Stroke: A stroke is a serious condition – a medical emergency, in fact. A stroke can also lead to long term disability due to the interruption of blood supply to the brain, causing brain damage.

If someone suffers a stroke it is essential that you seek medical help for them immediately: the sooner emergency assistance is sought, the less severe the impact of the stroke can be on the victim due to there being less damage to the brain.

What happens during a stroke can differ from one person to another. However, typical symptoms include:

The face ‘falling’ or collapsing on one side

Difficulty swallowing

Difficulty speaking (slurred speech)

Being unable to move one side of your body (or feeling extremely weak there)

Difficulty in understanding what is being said to you

Difficulty walking and a general feeling of being unsteady on your feet

Dizziness and faintness

Coordination problems

Severe headache

There is usually a sudden onset of symptoms. In severe cases there may even be a loss of consciousness.

Other associated symptoms of high cholesterol include angina, blood clots and pains in the legs when exercising (due to the insufficient blood flow).

Note: Where high cholesterol levels are particularly severe, yellow patches around the eyes can develop. And also yellow patches in different places around your body – these are cholesterol deposits that serve as indicators or as a warning mechanism that cholesterol levels are dangerously high.

Causes

As we have seen, high cholesterol is generally caused by a build-up of fatty deposits in the blood vessels. This build up can be caused by:

An unhealthy diet that is high in unsaturated fat

Lack of exercise

Obesity

Excessive alcohol consumption

Genetic predisposition (having high cholesterol is in the family and may have been passed down)

Other risk factors for high cholesterol include smoking and having a family history of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

Diagnosis

High cholesterol can be measured using a blood test.

Treatment

The best way to treat and reduce high cholesterol is to adopt a healthier lifestyle which combines a balanced diet with regular exercise. If you smoke, stop. Also keep your alcohol consumption at a reasonable level.

Your GP may prescribe cholesterol-lowering medications such as statins or aspirin.

How Chemist Online can help

Through this website we have a range of treatments available to buy which can help you to maintain a healthy heart.


www.chemistonline.co.uk


Advice & Support
British Heart Foundation
Tel. 0300 330 3311
Website: www.bhf.org.uk

HEART UK
Tel. 0845 450 5988
Website: www.heartuk.org.uk

The Stroke Association
Tel: 0845 30 33 100
Website: www.stroke.org.uk

Food Standards Agency
Website: www.eatwell.gov.uk


This information and advice is not intended to replace the advice of your GP or chemist. Chemist Online is also not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based upon the content of the Chemist Online website. Chemist Online is also not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites.