Can High Cholesterol Cause Dizziness?
Cholesterol is a fat the body requires to perform certain functions like producing hormones, vitamin D, etc. The lipoproteins carry cholesterol to each body part and do their purposes. Cholesterol has several functions, so you can not ultimately say it is harmful to your health. When it exceeds the limited amount, it can cause several problems.
You may hear that high cholesterol causes dizziness. Is it true? This article analyses whether high cholesterol causes dizziness or any other symptoms. Before getting into the symptoms of high cholesterol, it is necessary to know about high cholesterol.
Contents
- 1 What Is High Cholesterol?
- 2 Does High Cholesterol Affect Dizziness?
- 3 Are There Any Health Problems Linked To Dizziness?
- 4 Cholesterol And The Symptoms
- 5 Is There Any Connection Between Vertigo And High Cholesterol?
- 6 Can High Cholesterol And Triglycerides Cause Dizziness?
- 7 Does High Cholesterol Cause Any Other Symptoms?
- 8 When To Consult A Doctor?
- 9 How To Prevent High Cholesterol?
- 10 Conclusion
What Is High Cholesterol?
High cholesterol is a condition that develops too many lipids in your blood. Excessive deposits of fat can lead to forming of plaque in the arteries, ultimately leading to atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases.
The condition is medically known as hyperlipidemia or hypercholesterolemia. The necessary amount of cholesterol is produced in the liver.
In addition, cholesterol is also produced from the food that you eat. Lifestyle changes can produce cholesterol in the body. Based on the type, cholesterol is mainly divided into three types.
- HDL (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol)
- LDL (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol)
- Triglyceride
HDL is a good type of cholesterol that helps to absorb cholesterol in the blood and transport it back to the cholesterol. A high amount of HDL is good for your health.
When it comes to LDL, is a bad type of cholesterol that makes up most cholesterol in the body and leads to cardiovascular diseases.
Triglyceride is also a bad type of lipid similar to LDL. The increasing number of triglycerides and LDL affects heart health. Both types of cholesterol make fat deposits in different parts of the body.
The deposits mostly affect the blood flow through the arteries. The extra lipids combine with other substances in the blood and form plaques.
It becomes bigger over the years. The condition results in stroke and heart attack. Some of the risk factors for high cholesterol are,
- Smoking habits
- Drinking an excessive amount of alcohol
- Lack of exercise
- People with FH(familial cholesterolemia)
- Unhealthy food habits
- Older age
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a desirable amount of LDL cholesterol is considered less than 100 mg/dl. A desirable amount of triglyceride level should be less than 150 mg/dl.
An ideal level of HDL cholesterol is considered greater than or equal to 40 mg/dl in males. In the case of females, it should be greater or equal to 50 mg/dl. However, a healthy cholesterol level is considered less than 200 mg/dl.
Does High Cholesterol Affect Dizziness?
High cholesterol doesn’t cause dizziness. But in some cases, it can occur due to other conditions related to high cholesterol. There is evidence that shows various fatal health issues related to high cholesterol such as atherosclerosis, coronary artery diseases, etc.
A person with these conditions may have dizziness. But it may vary from person to person. There is no scientific research that reveals the connection between high cholesterol and dizziness.
Dizziness may occur due to various reasons. It may not be connected with your cholesterol. In rare cases, lightheadedness and high cholesterol are correlated. The risk of developing factors can influence dizziness.
Are There Any Health Problems Linked To Dizziness?
Dizziness is a common symptom of several health issues. So we couldn’t predict that dizziness is caused by a particular health condition. Dizziness is classified into four types. Let’s look at each type of dizziness and its related health conditions.
Lightheadedness
As aforementioned, this type of dizziness is related to anxiety or depression. You may feel your head isn’t getting enough blood. It may come due to clouded vision and loss of balance. Dehydration, allergies, cold, and altitude sickness are the common causes of lightheadedness.
Presyncope
The condition happens due to a sudden decrease in blood flow to your brain. You may feel an irregular heartbeat. Heart conditions, Parkinson’s disease, medications, and dehydration can contribute to presyncope.
Disequilibrium
This type of dizziness makes one off-balance and unsteady of the beat. It may come due to several reasons. Therefore, disequilibrium can be considered a symptom of many health problems.
Vertigo
It is a condition in which the environment around you is moving. The symptom is barely noticeable. In some cases, the person who has vertigo finds it difficult to do everyday tasks. Nausea, vomiting, and loss of balance are some of the symptoms.
Cholesterol And The Symptoms
As aforementioned, high cholesterol affects several health conditions. The risk of developing conditions may lead to dizziness. Read on to find out about the conditions related to cholesterol and the symptoms.
Heart attack symptoms
A person who is experiencing heart-related diseases may feel lightheadedness or dizziness. The condition occurs due to a severe reduction of blood flow to the heart.
In addition, a person with heart disease may experience nausea, cold sweat, shortness of breath, chest pain, etc. Compared to males, females are more prone to certain symptoms such as dizziness and nausea.
Peripheral artery disease symptoms
Peripheral artery disease occurs due to excessive fat deposits in the arteries. It is a long-term disease that often appears with vomiting, muscle pain, and dizziness. Discoloration of the skin and cool skin on your feet are some of the symptoms of PAD.
Stroke symptoms
A stroke happens due to the blockage of blood vessels. The blockage causes a lack of oxygen and nutrients in the brain. People who have experienced a stroke in their life may feel dizzy. In addition, headache, blurred vision, trouble walking, and difficulty in speech or understanding speech are some of the most common symptoms of a stroke.
Is There Any Connection Between Vertigo And High Cholesterol?
Some of the evidence shows that there is a connection between vertigo and high cholesterol. People who are diagnosed with vertigo have a high chance of getting cholesterol.
A link between vertigo and metabolic diseases rise high cholesterol. Research is still going on to find out the relationship between vertigo and high cholesterol.
Can High Cholesterol And Triglycerides Cause Dizziness?
Sometimes high triglyceride levels can cause dizziness and chest pain. The symptoms are based on an individual’s health status.
Triglycerides originate from food consumption and the type of fat is used as an energy source. High blood triglycerides contribute to coronary artery disease.
You can not identify the high level of triglycerides until you do a blood test. It is important to monitor total cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and count of LDL separately.
When the triglyceride level gets too high, the person may have experienced dizziness and numbness due to the fat deposits.
Does High Cholesterol Cause Any Other Symptoms?
High cholesterol itself does not cause any symptoms in the early stage. It only shows symptoms when it turned into serious health issues.
According to the National, Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), high-level cholesterol does not show any symptoms, and that’s why most people are unaware of the condition.
Cholesterol screening is important to understand the count of cholesterol. The only way to identify the disease is through taking a blood test.
Blood test includes the amount of low-density lipoprotein level, high-density lipoprotein level, and also the number of triglycerides.
Otherwise, you can’t detect the count of your LDL. In some cases, people with very high cholesterol may show some initial symptoms such as muscle pain, headache, obesity, xanthomas, etc.
Xanthomas refer to high-fat deposits that appear with a fatty bump on the skin, especially in your eyes, face, feet, buttocks, etc.
NHLBI notes that some people who are diagnosed with very high cholesterol levels may experience grayish-white rings around their corneas.
When To Consult A Doctor?
As aforementioned, cholesterol doesn’t expose any symptoms in the initial stages. In some people, it may expose some symptoms like xanthomas. But it totally depends upon the health of every person.
It is important to update the count of cholesterol at regular intervals. If you feel any of the symptoms mentioned above, then, you should consult a doctor.
The conditions may cause dizziness due to high-level cholesterol. If your family has a history of heart disease or familial Hypercholesterolemia you should give extra care to a health matter. Speak out regarding the cholesterol background of your family.
How To Prevent High Cholesterol?
Cholesterol can prevent by following a healthy lifestyle. You can choose lifestyle changes for maintaining a neutral level of cholesterol in the body.
Avoiding saturated and trans fat can lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the blood. Follow a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Including more soluble fiber foods can increase the amount of good cholesterol. A good amount of cholesterol is produced from food consumption.
Therefore, it is better to limit the consumption of oily foods. Quitting smoking and drinking habits is appreciatable. If you have high cholesterol, just forget about those harmful habits.
Keep remembering that both habits don’t give you any benefits. Use of tobacco products and alcohol injurious to health. Moderate level of alcohol consumption doesn’t affect cholesterol levels.
However, it’s better to avoid it. Maintaining a moderate weight is good for improving cholesterol. In addition, medications are also there to decrease the amount of bad cholesterol.
Conclusion
A person with high cholesterol doesn’t show any symptoms. The high amount of lipids results in several health conditions. These conditions may cause the symptoms like dizziness, nausea, etc.
High cholesterol depends on various factors. If you experience any symptoms related to high cholesterol, take an appointment and talk with your doctor.
