Some things in life are best ignored, but certainly not the pain in your jaw or your armpits.

Feeling pain is not always normal! 

Do you feel a nagging pain in the back, or sometimes in the armpits? While it could be a simple pain or an infection; it could even be a symptom of high cholesterol. If you are feeling sudden intense pain in the jaw, it could be due to a heart attack. 

Accumulated cholesterol or high cholesterol can affect several parts of our body, without ringing the warning bells! High cholesterol is one of the major reasons crucial organs like the brain and the heart could be in trouble.

How to be sure that it is not a heart attack?  

Well, the first step would be seeing the doctor. The second-best thing you could do, is be prompt and be a step ahead!

Get the preventive health check-ups done to assess the condition of your body.

 What is cholesterol? 

 A waxy matter found in most tissues of the body. It’s not fundamentally harmful or bad as our body needs cholesterol for many functions. It is required for building cells,   making hormones, and also some vitamins essential for the proper functioning of our body.

Our liver naturally prepares all the cholesterol we need, but our foods can also contain cholesterol. Most dairy products, meat, and some oils like palm oil contain   cholesterol. When you eat food with high levels of cholesterol, this excess cholesterol then starts accumulating in your body, this is harmful. 

What happens when the cholesterol levels have increased? 

In case of increased levels of cholesterol, the chances of damage to the heart and brain increase. One can be at risk of heart attacks (angina), stroke, and metabolic syndrome. 

Cholesterol travels in our blood. It can do that when it is attached to a protein, this combination of both is called lipoproteins. These are also the markers for testing the cholesterol levels in the body. 

In layman’s language, the HDL is known as the good cholesterol and the rest (LDL, triglycerides) are bad cholesterols. The excess cholesterol is deposited on the walls of the blood vessels, causing blockages, hence it is imperative to lower these levels. 

Some Common Symptoms: 

• Chest pain 
• Tiredness 
• Pain in jaw, armpits, or back 
• Nausea 
• Numbness in fingers
• Dizziness 
• Blue toes 

Some Risk Factors: 

• Genetic conditions (hereditary) 
• Smoking and alcohol 
• Obesity 
• Poor diet 

Ways to lower your cholesterol levels: 

The best way is to adopt a holistic approach towards achieving a fit body and healthy you.   

If you are above 30 years of age, start by doing regular full body checkup. The results would help the doctor in starting a proper treatment. The key is to keep cholesterol levels low. If you have increased levels, the doctor would start with the required medications. Diet and regular exercise also play an important role in keeping the levels in check.

Diet:

A few diet changes could help. An ideal diet could be as follows: 

• A diet rich in vegetables and fruits.
• Foods that are high in soluble fiber.
• Eating fish like Salmon and Tuna.
• Reduce the intake of salt.
• Limit alcohol intake. 

 Regular exercise:

The American Heart Association suggests that high cholesterol is a product of lifestyle, among others. Especially inactivity and obesity, hence it is crucial to get enough exercise for the body at least 5 times a week.  

Begin your wellness journey with preventive health check-ups.

The body works efficiently, round the clock, and hence needs adequate maintenance and care. High cholesterol does not have any symptoms on its own but could be harmful to the body in several ways. 

Let us not forget the journey to wellness starts with a single step! The key to living long is always prevention. 

The best way to examine your cholesterol is only a step away.Book your preventive health check-up today! We have some great packages for you, do call us or fill the query form to know more.