Cholesterol is found in your blood in the form of fat. We get cholesterol mostly from the food we consume, while our liver also makes cholesterol for our bodies. A limited amount of cholesterol is needed to build healthy body cells but exceeding the limit can turn hazardous to our health. There are two basic types of cholesterol known as LDL and HDL.
The LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein, whereas the HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein. These cholesterols are categorized as bad and good, depending on their properties. Keeping your cholesterol in check is necessary to keep your heart working properly. A cholesterol test can identify the level of these cholesterols.
Cholesterol is fat that is processed from the food that we eat. These are of two types:
LDL: The low-density lipoprotein cholesterol gets deposited in the blood vessels and increases the chances of choking, which can result in severe heart disease in the future. This fat is known as bad fat since it makes layers of fat around the wall of blood vessels and makes the heart work harder to pump the blood throughout the body.
HDL: the high-density lipoprotein, on the other hand, is a good fat that cuts down the deposited fat in the blood vessels. It fights the LDL and helps in the easy working of the heart. Cholesterol blood tests determine if you have enough HDL to fight the bad cholesterol.
Total cholesterol: The total fat in your blood that runs through your whole body.
Symptoms of High Cholesterol:
Since there are no particular visible symptoms, you can still figure out if you face the underlying problems in your day-to-day life and get a cholesterol test done:
- Feeling lethargic and tired all the time.
- Facing problems in walking and climbing stairs.
- Facing issues like the inflamed food pipe
- Obesity
- Smoking habits mostly give you cholesterol.
Even if you do not face these problems, it is advisable to get your cholesterol checked periodically to keep a healthy track of the functioning of your body. It should be a timely activity since the cholesterol test tells you how your system works.
Causes:
High cholesterol is very normal among the current generation because of their lifestyle and eating habits. Here are a few points which are mostly responsible for high cholesterol:
- Age: After a certain age, our body tends to slow down the processing, which can result in internal changes. The males above 45 and females above 50 should get cholesterol tests done timely and maintain a health record.
- People who are overweight are more prone to suffering from cholesterol. Keep your eating habits in check to avoid this problem.
- Lazy lifestyle: The work these days bounds you within the limit of a screen, and the day goes by with no physical activity. This inactive lifestyle is a major reason for the youth suffering from cholesterol. It is better to get cholesterol blood tests done regularly and maintain a lifestyle that is good for your mental and physical health.
- Bad habits such as smoking or alcohol consumption: Alcohol and smoke damage your internal organs and choke the veins, making it tough for the heart to pump blood to its full capacity. This results in heart diseases.
Tests to identify cholesterol:
A Cholesterol blood test is a test advised by doctors that should be done regularly. The cholesterol test determines the presence of good, and bad cholesterol in your body and how elevated the level is, if any.
A cholesterol test is done on an empty stomach after 9 to 12 hours of fasting. This fasting helps digest all the food and maintain a normal level of cholesterol in your body. You can take water during this fast but avoid caffeinated drinks or sugary drinks at all costs. Medicines can be taken with regular water. Since this test is taken on an empty stomach, the accuracy is maintained in the test results. A cholesterol test is the easiest way to find out if your cholesterol level is elevated.
How to avoid cholesterol:
You can avoid risking your health by maintaining a few good habits that can add a new factor to your lifestyle:
- Engage in physical activity. Forty-five minutes of walking or yoga, gym, running, and cardio will only add to a better and healthier life. Take out time from your busy lifestyle and work on your health.
- Watch what you are eating. Excessive oil, butter, and fat are the reason for the bad fat that layers up on the wall of your heart vessels.
- Maintain your sugar level. High sugar is a reason behind most health issues.
- Try to stay away from alcohol and cigarettes. These habits damage your internal organs and result in poor health.
