'Severe' high cholesterol warning sign that could be ruining your sleep
Having high cholesterol can be deadly if left untreated. A person with high cholesterol has too much fatty substance in their blood which can clog up the arteries.
Often, symptoms don't manifest until the condition becomes severe, with ominous signs appearing when a person's arteries become blocked. This obstruction makes it harder for blood to be transported to essential organs throughout the body.
Such blockages place those with high cholesterol at a heightened risk for health complications like heart disease or strokes.
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The Department of Surgery at the University of California warns that a complication of high cholesterol levels can cause nocturnal foot pain. A key warning sign of high cholesterol is Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI) - a condition that reduces blood flow to your hands and feet.
This can result in 'severe' pain and even ulcers or sores, according to experts.
According to the Department of Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco, "CLI is a severe obstruction of the arteries which markedly reduces blood flow to the extremities (hands, feet, and legs) and has progressed to the point of severe pain and even skin ulcers or sores".
As previously reported, the intense pain caused by CLI can disrupt your sleep, either waking you up or preventing you from falling asleep.
"This pain, also called "rest pain", is often in the leg and can be relieved temporarily by hanging the leg over the bed or getting up to walk around".
The report adds: "CLI is a very severe condition of peripheral artery disease (PAD) and needs comprehensive treatment by a vascular surgeon or vascular specialist."
To fend off the risk of complications from high cholesterol, it's crucial to get tested for the condition. Here's how cholesterol tests are conducted.
How to test for high cholesterol
There are two ways of having a cholesterol test:
Taking blood from your arm
Finger-prick test.
How can you reduce high cholesterol?
The NHS advises that those diagnosed with high cholesterol will receive guidance on how to lower it from a healthcare professional. You might be recommended to alter your diet or prescribed medication.
Certain foods can aid in reducing cholesterol levels. Incorporating specific foods into a balanced diet can be beneficial. Swapping foods high in saturated fats for those rich in unsaturated fats is an effective way to lower cholesterol, says Heart UK.
Numerous foods are high in saturated fats, including fatty cuts of meat, butter, and lard.
Unsaturated fats include:
Vegetable oils such as olive, sunflower, corn, rapeseed, nut and seed oils
Avocado, nuts and seeds
Fat spreads made from vegetable oils, such as sunflower and olive oil
Oily fish.
Coconut oils are often touted as a healthy choice - some reports suggest they can boost your HDL cholesterol, also known as 'good cholesterol'.
However, Heart UK highlights that this is unlikely as coconut oil contains only a small amount of the type of fat that raises HDL, referred to as "MCTs".
It adds: "More importantly, coconut oil is composed almost entirely of saturated fat. It contains even more saturated fat than butter, so is likely to cause the same health problems."
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