How do you know if you have high cholesterol? Since high cholesterol has no symptoms, the only way to tell is through a blood test looking at your lipid levels. If you think your cholesterol levels are higher than they should be, don’t wait to contact your doctor.
The buildup of plaque caused by high cholesterol can put you at risk for much more serious diseases like cardiovascular disease, peripheral arterial disease, coronary artery (heart) disease (CAD), or stroke. As frightening as that can sound, don’t panic. With the help of your doctor, you can improve your cholesterol levels through medication and/or lifestyle changes.
In this article, we will teach you how to tell if you have high cholesterol, walk you through common risk factors, and advise you on when to seek emergency treatment.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fat-like, waxy substance that is vital in the body for the formation of cell membranes, certain hormones, and vitamin D. Because cholesterol is fat soluble, meaning it doesn’t dissolve in water, it needs the help of lipoproteins to travel through your bloodstream. The two major forms of lipoprotein are LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol.
LDL cholesterol
So, what causes high cholesterol? High levels of low density lipoproteins (LDL), also referred to as “bad cholesterol,” leads to what’s diagnosed as high cholesterol. When the level of ldl cholesterol is too high, fatty deposits can begin to build up in your blood vessels causing a cascade of other issues. This is because the increase in plaque decreases blood flow throughout your body — particularly to your heart and brain.
HDL cholesterol
Not all cholesterol is bad. High-density lipoproteins (HDL) commonly known as “good cholesterol” helps to absorb LDL cholesterol, bringing it back to the liver to be flushed from your body. High levels of HDL cholesterol can actually lower your risk for CAD, blood clots, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are a different type of lipid than cholesterol that your body uses as a stored energy source. When you consume more food than you need, your body converts the extra into triglycerides which are then stored in your fat cells.
If you do not use the stores and regularly consume more than you use, your triglyceride levels can become high and put you at risk for heart disease and stroke. Similarly to cholesterol, your doctor can run a blood test to ensure your levels are in a healthy range.
What are the warning signs of high cholesterol?
High cholesterol typically doesn’t have any symptoms until it is an emergency event. The only way to know if you have a high level of ldl cholesterol is through a blood test. Leaving cholesterol untreated can lead to the buildup of plaque over time, damaging the heart and putting you at risk for a heart attack or stroke. Keep an eye out for heart attack or early stroke symptoms like:
- Nausea
- Numbness
- Slurred speech
- Extreme fatigue
- Chest pain or angina
- Shortness of breath
- Numbness or coldness in extremities
- High blood pressure
If you have any concerns about the symptoms you’re experiencing, don’t wait to head into the nearest 24 hour emergency room. They can check your blood work as well as run tests to ensure there isn’t anything major going on.
Learn what blood tests are done in the emergency room.
How do you know if you have high cholesterol without a blood test?
As previously mentioned, until you are in the midst of an emergency event or you have the results from a blood test, you cannot know you have high cholesterol. You should begin lipid testing between the ages of 9 and 11 and repeat the testing every five years until age 45 or 55 depending on your gender.
The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) recommends that blood work be repeated every one to two years between the ages of 45 to 65 for men and 55 to 64 for women. If you are over the age of 65, cholesterol screenings should be completed every year.
The frequency of testing will also depend on your family history or risk factors and will be left up to the discretion of your doctor.
Risk Factors for High Cholesterol
You could be at risk of high cholesterol regardless of your age, gender, or ethnicity and if you:
- Consume an unhealthy diet
- Are obese or overweight
- Lack of regular movement or exercise
- Have a history of high cholesterol or familial hypercholesterolemia
- Smoke tobacco products
- Have diabetes or kidney disease
Continue reading: What to do if someone is having a heart attack
How to reduce cholesterol
If you have high cholesterol, the best way to improve your cholesterol is through a healthy lifestyle and medications if needed. Talk to your doctor to figure out what course of action is best for you.
Here are several changes you can make to help reduce your cholesterol:
- Avoid alcohol and tobacco use
- Eat a diet low in saturated fats and high in fiber
- Limit processed foods, fatty red meats, egg yolk, and high-fat dairy products
- Diet and exercise
- Maintain a healthy weight
24/7 emergency services in Texas and Colorado Springs
How do you know if you have high cholesterol? Once again, the only way to tell if you have high cholesterol is to have your doctor run blood work. If you suspect you might have high cholesterol or notice symptoms of something more urgent like a heart attack or stroke, don’t wait to seek urgent medical attention at Complete Care.
Complete Care is a 24/7 freestanding emergency care center with ER locations in Colorado Springs and throughout Texas. We put our patients first, aiming to tend to your emergency within minutes, not hours.
For any questions regarding high cholesterol, please don’t hesitate to contact a Complete Care facility today!
More Helpful Articles by Complete Care:
FAQs
Home cholesterol test kits without a meter
Place the drop of blood on a test strip. The strip will change colors after a minute or two. Compare your test strip color with the color guide that comes with your kit. It will tell you your cholesterol level.
What reduces cholesterol quickly? ›
Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Soluble fiber is found in such foods as oatmeal, kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears. Add whey protein. Whey protein, which is found in dairy products, may account for many of the health benefits attributed to dairy.
How do doctors test to see if your cholesterol is too high? ›
Your doctor will check your cholesterol levels with a blood test called a lipid profile. A nurse will take a small sample of blood from your finger or arm for this test. There are other blood tests that can check cholesterol, but a lipid profile gives the most information.
What hurts when you have high cholesterol? ›
Symptoms. There are no symptoms of high cholesterol unless the condition is severe. In such cases, fat deposits can form in tendons and skin or even cause severe stomach pain due to an enlarged liver or spleen. Some forms of high cholesterol are genetic.
Does high cholesterol go away? ›
Cholesterol drops over time, not suddenly, after a few days of healthier living. There is no set period in which cholesterol is guaranteed to drop. Cholesterol-lowering drugs usually produce a change in LDL within 6 to 8 weeks. It is possible for lifestyle changes to change cholesterol levels within weeks.
What gives you high cholesterol? ›
Many different factors can contribute to high blood cholesterol, including lifestyle factors like smoking, an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise, as well as having an underlying condition, such as high blood pressure or diabetes.
Will high cholesterol make you tired? ›
The lowdown. High cholesterol does not directly cause fatigue. Fatigue is often associated with the complications of high cholesterol, but high cholesterol does not typically cause symptoms. High cholesterol can lead to coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, or stroke if left untreated.
What reduces cholesterol quickly naturally? ›
Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fiber foods
Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears. Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Five to 10 grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your LDL cholesterol.
Does drinking water lower cholesterol? ›
When people have high cholesterol their LDL (bad) is high and their HDL (good) is low. Eating healthy, regular exercise and drinking plenty of water will help to bring down cholesterol levels within 2-3 weeks.
What not to eat with high cholesterol? ›
The worst foods for high cholesterol, given their high saturated fat content, include:
- Red meat, like beef, pork, and lamb, as well as processed meats like sausage.
- Full-fat dairy, like cream, whole milk, and butter.
- Baked goods and sweets.
- Fried foods.
- Tropical oils such as palm oil and coconut oil.
- Butter.
Add these foods to lower LDL cholesterol
- Oats. ...
- Barley and other whole grains. ...
- Beans. ...
- Eggplant and okra. ...
- Nuts. ...
- Vegetable oils. ...
- Apples, grapes, strawberries, citrus fruits. ...
- Foods fortified with sterols and stanols.
Cholesterol levels and age
| Type of cholesterol | Anyone 19 or younger | Women aged 20 or over |
|---|
| total cholesterol | less than 170 mg/dl | 125–200 mg/dl |
| non-HDL | less than 120 mg/dl | less than 130 mg/dl |
| LDL | less than 100 mg/dl | less than 100 mg/dl |
| HDL | more than 45 mg/dl | 50 mg/dl or higher |
Chronic stress leads to consistently high levels of stress hormones, which in turn can lead to consistently high blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and/or triglycerides.
Does exercise lower cholesterol? ›
Exercise can help you lower cholesterol numbers even if you're overweight. In the Journal of Obesity, researchers reported that overweight and obese adults who walked, jogged, and cycled while eating a cholesterol-lowering diet improved total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
How does cholesterol affect your legs? ›
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a complication that can develop when the arteries in your legs get too narrow due to buildup from high cholesterol levels. PAD can cause numbness and tingling in your legs or feet. Loss of sensation can increase your risk of ulcers and other slow-healing wounds.
What does high cholesterol do to your legs? ›
High cholesterol is one of several factors that can lead to plaque buildup in the blood vessels. Narrowed or blocked arteries in your legs can cause reduced blood flow, poor circulation, and symptoms of peripheral artery disease.
What happens to your body if you have high cholesterol? ›
This occurs when fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up in the walls of arteries and form hard structures called plaques. Over time, these plaques can block the arteries and cause heart disease, stroke, and other symptoms or problems throughout the body.
Can losing 10 pounds lower cholesterol? ›
Losing as little as 10 pounds can be enough to improve your cholesterol levels. In one study, people who lost at least 5% of their weight significantly reduced their levels of LDL, total cholesterol, and triglycerides.
What are the 15 foods that lower cholesterol? ›
15 foods that lower cholesterol
- Eggplant.
- Okra.
- Apples.
- Avocado.
- Fish.
- Oats.
- Barley.
- Nuts.
Dr. Nieca Goldberg, medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health at the NYU Langone Medical Center, says it can take between three to six months to see lower LDL numbers through just diet and exercise, noting that it takes longer to see changes in women than men.
Fill Up on Fiber
Foods like oatmeal, apples, prunes, and beans are high in soluble fiber, which keeps your body from absorbing cholesterol. Research shows that people who ate 5 to 10 more grams of it each day saw a drop in their LDL. Eating more fiber also makes you feel full, so you won't crave snacks as much.
How to avoid high cholesterol? ›
Foods that are higher in saturated fat may be high in cholesterol. Choose foods that are low in saturated fat, trans fat, sodium (salt), and added sugars. These foods include lean meats; seafood; fat-free or low-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt; whole grains; and fruits and vegetables.
Are bananas good for cholesterol? ›
The fiber and potassium in bananas can reduce the level of cholesterol and blood pressure. Banana is especially known as a good source of soluble fibre which will gives one a healthy body and good immune system.
Will high cholesterol make you gain weight? ›
High cholesterol doesn't usually cause any symptoms, including weight gain. In fact, despite the association of high cholesterol with weight gain, underweight and healthy weight people can also have the condition. But having overweight or obesity increases the risk of high cholesterol.
Does sleep lower cholesterol? ›
In one large study, men who slept less than 6 hours on most nights had higher LDL cholesterol, but women who slept the same amount had lower LDL. Men and women who snored during sleep had lower levels of HDL cholesterol. Sleep deprivation or staying up all night may make cholesterol levels go up, too.
How to tell if you have high cholesterol without a blood test? ›
You can't tell if you have high cholesterol without having it checked. A simple blood test will reveal your cholesterol level. Men 35 years of age and older and women 45 years of age and older should have their cholesterol checked.
Is peanut butter good to lower cholesterol? ›
Due to its high amount of unsaturated fats, peanut butter may help reduce a person's LDL cholesterol levels. Having optimal LDL levels is linked with a lower risk of heart disease. A 2015 study found that people who had a high intake of nuts may have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality.
What vitamins lower cholesterol? ›
Vitamin B3, or niacin, has been shown to increase levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or good, cholesterol, and decrease triglycerides. Niacin supplementation has been used since the 1950s as a treatment for high cholesterol.
What is considered dangerously high cholesterol? ›
A person is considered at high risk for developing heart disease if their total cholesterol level is higher than 240 mg/dL, LDL levels are higher than 160 mg/dL (190 mg/dL is even higher risk), and if the HDL level is below 40 mg/dL.
What is the main cause of high cholesterol? ›
Causes of high cholesterol
Many different factors can contribute to high blood cholesterol, including lifestyle factors like smoking, an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise, as well as having an underlying condition, such as high blood pressure or diabetes.
The worst foods for high cholesterol, given their high saturated fat content, include:
- Red meat, like beef, pork, and lamb, as well as processed meats like sausage.
- Full-fat dairy, like cream, whole milk, and butter.
- Baked goods and sweets.
- Fried foods.
- Tropical oils such as palm oil and coconut oil.
- Butter.
A high level of cholesterol in the blood doesn't have obvious symptoms, but it can increase your risk for conditions that do have symptoms, including angina (chest pain caused by heart disease), high blood pressure, stroke, and other circulatory ailments.
Does high cholesterol make you tired? ›
The lowdown. High cholesterol does not directly cause fatigue. Fatigue is often associated with the complications of high cholesterol, but high cholesterol does not typically cause symptoms. High cholesterol can lead to coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, or stroke if left untreated.
Will stress raise cholesterol? ›
Chronic stress leads to consistently high levels of stress hormones, which in turn can lead to consistently high blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and/or triglycerides.
What meat is best for cholesterol? ›
Skinless, lean, and ground chicken or turkey breast are good low-cholesterol choices.
How can you tell if you have high cholesterol without a blood test? ›
You can't tell if you have high cholesterol without having it checked. A simple blood test will reveal your cholesterol level. Men 35 years of age and older and women 45 years of age and older should have their cholesterol checked.
Does high cholesterol make you gain weight? ›
High cholesterol doesn't usually cause any symptoms, including weight gain. In fact, despite the association of high cholesterol with weight gain, underweight and healthy weight people can also have the condition. But having overweight or obesity increases the risk of high cholesterol.
Will losing 10 pounds lower my cholesterol? ›
Losing as little as 10 pounds can be enough to improve your cholesterol levels. In one study, people who lost at least 5% of their weight significantly reduced their levels of LDL, total cholesterol, and triglycerides.
Does lack of sleep raise cholesterol? ›
A number of studies have linked short-term sleep deprivation with several well-known risk factors for heart disease, including higher cholesterol levels, higher triglyceride levels, and higher blood pressure.
How does high cholesterol affect your eyes? ›
One ocular sign of high cholesterol is a bluish ring that forms near the outside of the cornea, the otherwise clear, front part of the eye. These rings, called “arcus senilis,” appear most commonly with age as more cholesterol gets deposited into the cornea.
