High Cholesterol Treatment
Steps to Lowering High Cholesterol Levels
High cholesterol shows no symptoms, so it is important to visit your doctor and get a cholesterol screening. If you are diagnosed with high cholesterol, making lifestyle changes and following your doctor's recommendations are necessary if you want to become healthier and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke that can be caused by high cholesterol. Controling cholesterol levels will involve eating a healthy diet, taking the time for exercise, to stop smoking if you smoke, to lose weight if you are overweight, and for some patients a prescription for cholesterol medication.
DIET: Just as maintaining a healthy diet is important in preventing high cholesterol, it is also critical in lowering high cholesterol. A healthy diet includes eating the right amount of calories for your body and eating a wide variety of foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and cutting out foods that are high in saturated fats and trans fats as they can increase the amount of bad cholesterol in the blood. Foods with saturated fat include meat, butter, and cream. Foods with trans fats include cakes, cookies, pastries, and fast food. Foods high in cholesterol include liver and other organ meats, egg yolks, and full-fat dairy products. Daily healthy food guidelines include eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, choosing whole-grain cereals, breads and pasta, eating leaner cuts of meat, fish, skinless poultry, and choosing fat-free or 1% milk dairy products instead of whole-milk dairy products. A healthy diet also includes soluble fiber, found in oats, oranges, pears, brussels sprouts, carrots, dried peas, and beans.
EXERCISE: Physical activity is essential both to healthy living and in controlling cholesterol. It can help lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and raise HDL (good cholesterol), as well as helping to maintain a healthy weight. Before starting any exercise program, get an okay from your doctor. If you don't currently exercise, start slowly and gradually build up to 30 minutes of daily activity, and always follow what your doctor recommends for your special circumstances. Choose an activity that you enjoy so you're more apt to stick with it. Try to exercise at the same time everyday so it becomes a regular part of your lifestyle. If you don't have the time for a full 30 minutes of exercise at one time, break it up into two 15-minute exercise sessions a day. If you get bored with one activity, use a variety to keep up your interest, such as alternating walking, swimming, bike riding, dancing, or joining an exercise group. Look for other opportunities to be active during the day as well, such as walking around the mall before shopping, using the stairs instead of the elevator, or using a break to take a quick walk instead of sitting. Don't get discouraged if you miss a day, just start up again the next day and keep trying. If you experience chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or lightheadedness, stop your activity and contact your doctor if necessary.
STOP SMOKING: Smoking is unhealthy for many reasons, including it's affect on cholesterol levels. If you smoke, when you stop, the amount of good cholesterol in your blood can increase. When you increase your good cholesterol, it can lower your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. If you need help to stop smoking, ask your doctor about taking a smoking cessation drug.
LOSE WEIGHT: High cholesterol doesn't affect just overweight people, but being overweight can contribute to unhealthy cholesterol levels. If you are overweight, losing weight can help lower LDL (bad cholesterol). Maintaining a healthy weight will improve your health and cholesterol levels, and will be affected by your diet and exercise habits. Eating healthy, limiting calories and engaging in daily physical activity will help you lose weight.
MEDICATION: If you are unable to lower your cholesterol by diet and exercise alone, your doctor may recommend cholesterol-lowering drugs. They will be used in conjunction with other lifestyle changes to help lower your LDL (bad cholesterol), you still need to eat healthy and exercise, lose weight and stop smoking. If you are prescribed cholesterol medication, make sure you understand how to use it properly, when you are supposed to take it, and follow your doctors instructions. Inform your doctor of other medications you are taking, as one medication can counteract with another one you are taking. If you don't take the medicine exactly as prescribed, it can be harmful or make you feel sick or dizzy. Medications should be taken as advised by your doctor and taken at the same time every day. If you ever have concerns about your medications, talk to your doctor.
Becoming informed about cholesterol and understanding the facts will help you take better care of your body and live a healthier life. It will help you become an active participant in your health and work together with your doctor to keep you healthy. The information on this site is provided for informational purposes only and should not take the place of medical advice and regular check-ups from a health professional.