HOUSE CALL: SIGNS OF HIGH CHOLESTEROL

How do you know if your cholesterol is high?  Well Dr Mariana Browne is here to give us the answer in our House Call segment.

Transcript

00:00high cholesterol is a condition that increases your risk for heart attack and stroke and most

00:16people don't even know they have it but sometimes your body gives you clues tonight on housecore

00:24we're going to talk about the signs and symptoms of high cholesterol and what you can do to

00:29protect your heart cholesterol is a fatty substance in your body our body needs it to make hormones or

00:38to build cells however when the levels of bad cholesterol LDL get too high they can build up

00:47in the arteries reducing blood flow and increasing your risk for heart attack and stroke the tricky

00:53part is high cholesterol usually has no symptoms but in some people they can be physical signs

01:01around the eyes or on the skin here's what you need to look out for number one xanthalasma these are

01:10yellow flat patches around the eyelids indicating high cholesterol or another lipid disorder number

01:17two xanthomas these are yellowish deposits that are under the skin that can occur on the elbow on the

01:25knees or at the Achilles tendon indicating high cholesterol number three corneal arcus look in

01:33the mirror do you see a gray ring around the eyes that can indicate high cholesterol as the gray ring may

01:40represent fatty deposits number four chest pain or shortness of breath plaque buildup or cholesterol

01:48buildup can reduce blood flow to the heart resulting in these symptoms and number five coldness or numbness

01:56in the hands or feet plaque can build up in the major blood vessels that supply your feet or hands and that

02:02can lead to reduced blood flow reducing the temperature in your hands or feet so who's at risk people who have a diet

02:10that's high in saturated fats or deep fried foods obesity limited physical activity smoking habits and

02:20people who have a family history of heart disease or high cholesterol the only way to confirm high

02:27cholesterol is through a blood test it measures your good cholesterol HDL and your bad cholesterol LDL and

02:36triglycerides high cholesterol can be silent but its effects deadly pay attention to the signs that your body

02:45gives you and don't wait for symptoms to appear a simple blood test and increased physical activity can save your

02:54heart and your life it's Dr. Marianna Brown for TV6 House School