Cholesterol is a fat, medically called lipid, naturally produced by our liver. It’s an essential substance used in many of our body’s metabolic processes, such as the production of vitamin D, bile, and hormones.
We can also get cholesterol from animal food sources. However, it’s unnecessary since our liver produces enough cholesterol to meet our body’s needs. If extra dietary cholesterol is continuously consumed, it’ll only build up and form fatty deposits in our blood vessels.
Hyperlipidaemia or high cholesterol levels can be life-threatening. It prevents blood flow, which can lead to several cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) like heart attack and stroke. Prevent this from happening by knowing its physical signs. Check them out here:
Claudication
Leg pain is one of the most common symptoms of high cholesterol. This is called claudication. It can make your legs ache, cramp, numb, or get tired easily during physical activities, including walking.
Claudication happens because the blood vessels in the legs get narrowed or blocked, typically due to peripheral artery disease (PAD). It’s felt when fatty deposits build up in the arteries, reducing blood flow. It can make feet feel cool or cold, damage cells and tissues, and even cause your muscles to shrink.
Along with leg pain, PAD can also cause other changes in your legs and feet. Your toenails might become thick, deformed, or discolored. You might also get ulcers (wounds) on your skin, especially if you have a small injury, and these wounds may take a long time to heal.
Claudication can be relieved with cholesterol medications. One of the best-studied and commonly used drugs to lower cholesterol is statins. Unfortunately, many people who take them often report experiencing muscle pain, which may worsen your discomfort.
Immediately seek your primary care provider and ask for advice on which statin with least side effects you should take or if there are other alternatives. More importantly, take care of yourself and avoid lifestyle habits that can increase your cholesterol.
Slurred Speech
Another common sign of high cholesterol levels is slurred speech, a symptom of dysarthria. It’s a motor speech disorder where the muscles used for speech are weakened or paralyzed, making it difficult for a person to articulate words and sounds properly.
Note that dysarthria isn’t directly caused by high cholesterol itself. However, high cholesterol can contribute to conditions that may lead to dysarthria. In particular, high cholesterol may lead to atherosclerosis, where fatty deposits build up in the arteries, restricting blood flow.
Slurred speech isn’t a medical emergency. However, if atherosclerosis happens in the arteries supplying blood to the brain, it may permanently damage the brain cells responsible for speech and other motor functions. Hence, seeing a doctor as soon as possible is still important.
Hairy Tongue
When cholesterol builds up and blocks the arteries, it can also affect the tongue. This leads to a lack of proper nutrition and oxygen supply to the tongue area, typically leading to discoloration and malformation.
One example of these changes is a hairy tongue. It doesn’t mean the tongue will grow hair. It’s just that the tongue looks hairy because the papillae (the small bumps on the tongue’s surface) become larger and discolored due to the blocked arteries mentioned earlier.
A hairy tongue’s color can be either white or black, but the tongue’s tip usually has a purplish or bluish color. It also causes sublingual veins (seen at the bottom of the tongue) to appear dark, crooked, or thick.
Similar to slurred speech, a hairy tongue isn’t harmful. It only causes bad breath and a bad taste in the mouth. Despite that, a proper diagnosis should be made. More importantly, it’s a sign of high cholesterol, which must be prevented at all costs to prevent worst-case scenarios like CVDs.
Xanthelasmas and Arcus Senilis
Xanthelasmas are yellowish-white or orange spots on the eyelids, often mistaken for a skin issue. However, they’re fat deposits and a sign of high cholesterol. That’s why they’re often called “cholesterol spots.”
Another indication of high cholesterol in the eyes is arcus senilis. This appears as white, blue, or gray rings around the outer part of the cornea or iris. Although it might seem like a two-colored iris, it’s a discoloration caused by cholesterol deposits in the cornea.
Both conditions are harmless and don’t affect vision. However, as mentioned, they are physical signs of high cholesterol that can become particularly risky when it affects the retinal vessels.
The retina, responsible for sending visual signals to the brain, relies on blood supply from the retinal artery and vein. Cholesterol build-up can block these vessels, leading to retinal vein occlusion or retinal artery occlusion.
Artery occlusion can result in adverse changes in our vision, such as blurry vision, dark lines or floaters, pain in the affected eye, and, worse, blindness. Hence, don’t wait for these symptoms to occur. Immediately see a doctor if xanthelasmas and arcus senilis are noticed.
Erectile Dysfunction (ED)
Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is the difficulty of getting or maintaining an erection in men. Recent research has discovered a connection between ED and high cholesterol. One of the main reasons for ED is the narrowing of blood vessels, which can be caused by high cholesterol.
However, this exact link between ED and high cholesterol still needs further research. The good news is that this discovery has prompted researchers to investigate the use of cholesterol-lowering medications to address ED. In simpler terms, there is hope for treating ED, and it may be possible through medications that lower cholesterol.
Final Thoughts
High cholesterol levels pose significant risks to our health. Fortunately, it’s preventable and treatable. By staying informed, adopting a healthy lifestyle, and seeking medical advice early on, we can take proactive steps to manage and reduce the risk of high cholesterol and improve our optimal well-being.
Also read: Get Fit, Get Better: Exploring the Link Between Exercise and Personal Improvement
