High cholesterol can cause hardening of the arteries and cause fatty deposits to develop in blood vessels. Despite having this dangerous disease, many people in society are not aware that they have cholesterol. Untreated cholesterol disease is known to increase the risk of serious health problems such as heart attack and stroke.
ATTENTION TO PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS IF THERE IS A FAMILY OF CHOLESTEROL DISEASE
Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the early warning signs of cholesterol and to regulate your life habits. Many people with high cholesterol, also known as hypercholesterolemia, will not know they actually have it until they get tested or have a related health condition. However, those with familial hypercholesterolemia — a genetic condition in which you have exceptionally high cholesterol levels in your blood — may notice some physical signs.
SYMPTOM IN THE EYE GIVES EARLY WARNING
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines the cholesterol symptom as: “A whitish-gray color in the shape of a half-moon on the outside of your cornea.” This happens when extra cholesterol builds up in the body, he says. “Your doctor may detect physical signs of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) during a clinical exam, but not everyone with FH will have these symptoms,” she says.
CHOLESTEROL SYMPTOMS
“These physical manifestations of FH occur when extra cholesterol builds up in different parts of the body.” Besides the distinctive arc-shaped appearance, Heart UK says other physical signs of FH include:
- Swollen tendons in the joints of your hands and your Achilles tendon at the back of your ankle (tendon xanthoma). These may look like small oily lumps.
- Raised, pale, yellowish patches around your eyes and on your eyelids (xanthelasma).
Lifestyle changes ‘often’ will not suffice for lower cholesterol.
As with lifestyle-related high cholesterol, FH can lead to serious complications such as heart disease.
The CDC states: “Hypercholesterolemia (AH) is a genetic disorder that affects about one in 250 people and increases the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease at a young age. People with FH have elevated blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, sometimes called ‘bad cholesterol’. Having too much LDL cholesterol in your blood increases your risk of developing coronary artery disease or having a heart attack.
IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE HABITS
“Exercise and healthy eating habits are important for people with FH, but often not enough to lower their cholesterol to a healthy level. Medications such as statins are needed to help control cholesterol levels. If you have FH, finding and treating the disorder early is heart-breaking. “If your child is diagnosed with FH, he or she may need statin therapy in childhood, usually starting between the ages of eight and 10.”