Have High Cholesterol? What It Means to Your Health

Cholesterol is a sticky substance found in the blood. The body needs cholesterol to build healthy cells. Cholesterol is crucial to the healthy functioning of the body, which needs it to build healthy cells and make vitamins and other hormones. But too much cholesterol can lead to serious problems, including heart disease and stroke. High blood cholesterol is one of the major controllable risk factors for heart disease, heart attack and stroke. With high cholesterol, fats and other substances can build up in blood vessels in the arteries. This buildup is called plaque. As more plaque forms over time, the arteries can become narrowed or clogged. That makes it hard for enough blood to flow through the arteries. If the coronary arteries that feed the heart are blocked, this could lead to a heart attack. If the blood vessels of the brain or arteries of the neck are blocked, this could lead to a stroke. If the arteries of the leg are blocked, this could lead to peripheral artery disease which causes painful leg cramps when walking, numbness and weakness, or foot sores that do not heal. When we talk about cholesterol, there is “good cholesterol” and “bad cholesterol”. LDL is also called “bad cholesterol”. It carries cholesterol that can stick to arteries, collect in the vessel lining forming plaque, and sometimes block blood flow. HDL is the “good cholesterol”. It takes cholesterol away from the blood and returns it to the liver. When checked, you want your LDL to be low. L for low. You want your HDL to be high. H for High. A blood test can measure the LDL, HDL, and total cholesterol. A third component, known as triglycerides, also plays a role in our cholesterol health. They are the most common type of fat in our bodies, and they store excess energy, or fat, from our diet. A high triglyceride level, combined with low HDL and high LDL, can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Having high cholesterol typically causes no symptoms, it acts like a silent condition that you never know until a blood test it done. When you feel the symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, leg pain including cramps and numbness, and also sudden headaches, including dizziness or confusion that is linked to restricted blood flow, that could mean severe damage in the body has already occurred. HijamaEnergetics is a safe, complementary therapy for reducing high cholesterol. Research shows that wet cupping can reduce total cholesterol, LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides while increasing HDL (good cholesterol). Wet Cupping (Hijama) helps eliminate metabolic toxins from the blood and improve blood flow. Some studies suggest that the removal of these substances can help prevent cardiovascular disease, specifically by managing high lipids.