High Cholesterol: Warning signs that tell your cholesterol level is high and ways to lower it

High cholesterol is associated with major ailments of the body. The buildup of plaques due to the presence of high levels of cholesterol in the body is the main reason behind serious diseases like cardiovascular disease, peripheral arterial disease, coronary artery disease and stroke.

Often termed as the silent killer, high cholesterol doesn't show any symptoms. Unlike other health conditions, where a person feels certain signs, there are no visible signs if the cholesterol level shoots up in the body.

Read: Experts warn against consumption of these 4 food items if having high cholesterol

Read: Busting all the myths surrounding cholesterol and its impact on health

Read: Foods that help lower cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty waxy substance that though is essential for various bodily functions, is extremely lethal when it exceeds the normal level. Cholesterol is essential for formation of cell membranes and hormones.

There are two types of cholesterol which are mostly taken into account while deciding if a person has high cholesterol or not: the low density lipoproteins (LDL) or the 'bad cholesterol' and the high density lipoprotein or the 'good cholesterol'.

There are triglycerides which are used by the body as a stored energy source. When not in use the level of triglycerides increases in the body and can also put you at risk of heart diseases.

The total cholesterol level is determined by taking into account the levels of low density lipoproteins, high density lipoproteins and triglycerides.

Ideally, the level of low density lipoproteins should be less than 70 milligrams per deciliter. Those who do not have any risk factors can consider the low density lipoproteins level between 100 to 130 milligrams per deciliter to be normal.

As per the Harvard report, "Your level of high density lipoproteins cholesterol also matters. People with levels below 40 mg/dL are more likely to develop atherosclerosis, heart disease and stroke. In general, a triglyceride level of under 150 mg/dL is a good goal."

There are several ways one can find out if they have high cholesterol, the two prominent ones among them are genetic factors and regular medical checkups.

The fact that high cholesterol does not have any symptoms until it leads to a medical complication, should warn everyone to be careful about their health.

High cholesterol progresses towards damaging the heart and early signs of a damaged heart, if spotted on time, can help in getting medical assistance at the right time:

The warning signs to look out for are:

Chest pain, or angina

Nausea

Numbness at times

Difficulty in speech

Fatigue

Increase in blood pressure

As per a Harvard Medical School report, the various risk factors of heart diseases due to high cholesterol are being a male older than 45, being a female older than 55, being a female with premature menopause, having a family history of premature coronary artery disease (a father or brother younger than 55 with coronary artery disease or a mother or sister younger than 65 with coronary artery disease), smoking cigarettes, having high blood pressure and not having enough good cholesterol or igh density lipoprotein.

A simple blood test called lipoprotein profile can assess your cholesterol level. It typically reports your total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, which is a type of fat in the blood.

When you're up for the test, you're required to fast i.e. eat no food or liquids other than water for atleast 9 to 12 hours prior to the test. However, some tests associated with cholesterol do not require fasting. Talk to your physician to confirm the same.

Lifestyle changes are extremely crucial if you have a high level of cholesterol in the body.

Diet, physical activity contribute a lot towards regulating the cholesterol level in a human being.

Here are few healthy recipes that can actually help you in lowering the cholesterol level:

Tomato stew

Take two medium sized tomatoes, cut them into quarters. Put the tomatoes in a saucepan and add chopped garlic, ginger, and garam masala to it. Add water and boil this mixture for 15-20 minutes. Mash the tomatoes properly and strain this mixture into another bowl. Temper this tomato stew with a little bit of oil and cumin seeds. Eat it hot.

Barley soup

Take barley and lentils, clean them properly. In a pressure cooker add a little bit of oil or butter and add some cumin seeds, onion, garlic to it. Saute all these for a while and then add the cleaned barley and lentil. Pressure cook these for 15 minutes and then season it with coriander leaves and black pepper.

Besan chilla or eggless omelette

Besan is a wonder food for those having high cholesterol. In order to eat this highly nutritious food, you can make an easy recipe. In a bowl, take 3 spoons of besan, cumin seeds, black pepper, and salt. Mix all these together with water and a little bit of curd. To this batter you can add tomatoes, spinach, onion, bell pepper and finely chopped vegetables of your choice.

Keep the batter for 15 minutes and then make pancake-alike chillas out of it on a frying pan. Cook it well on both sides.