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What are the symptoms of cholesterol?
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Cardiac & Vascular Health
Question #12133
45 days ago
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What are the symptoms of cholesterol? - #12133

Om

I am feeling really confused and worried about my health lately. For the past couple of weeks, I've been noticing some weird changes in my body. Like, my energy levels are all over the place and sometimes I feel this heaviness in my chest after I eat, which makes me think, what are the symptoms of cholesterol? Last week, I went to get my routine blood work done and they mentioned my cholesterol levels were higher than normal but didn’t give me much detail on what that actually means. Sometimes, I get these little tingling sensations in my arms and I can't help but wonder — could these be related? My mom had some heart issues, so now I'm panicking and googling everything under the sun about cholesterol. What are the symptoms of cholesterol that I should really be looking out for? Also, I eat a lot of fried food and sweets — do you think that's making it worse? Ugh, I just want to know what to pay attention to. Like, besides the usual weight gain or fatigue, what are the symptoms of cholesterol that I might be missing? If anyone has experienced this or has insight, please share!

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Doctors’ responses

While I can understand it’s concerning to hear your cholesterol levels are high, cholesterol itself doesn’t actually cause symptoms directly. It’s more about the long-term effects it can have on your arteries and heart health. What you’re experiencing, like heaviness in your chest or tingling sensations, isn’t directly caused by high cholesterol, but these can be associated with conditions that high cholesterol might contribute to, such as heart disease or peripheral artery disease. It’s important to differentiate that. For instance, chest heaviness after eating might be something like gastroesophageal reflux or another gastrointestinal issue rather than cholesterol. Tingling in the arms could be many things, from nerve issues to more serious cardiac causes, so it’s something you should definitely get checked out.

Knowing your family history does add more urgency, given your mom’s heart issues. A diet high in fried foods and sweets can indeed exacerbate high cholesterol levels, affecting your LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides. To address cholesterol levels effectively, focus on heart-healthy lifestyle changes which help to manage and lower your cholesterol levels. This includes eating more vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins like fish, reducing saturated fats, stopping smoking, and increasing physical activity.

Definitely consider talking to your healthcare provider about these symptoms—especially with your family history—to assess if further cardiac assessments or lifestyle changes are necessary. They might recommend medications like statins or suggest dietary adjustments tailored to your specific health profile. Regardless, addressing these elevated cholesterol levels is crucial to reducing potential cardiovascular risks moving forward. Also, if you experience new, unexplained chest pain or signs of a stroke, seek immediate medical attention.

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