Category: Women’s Health

Inherit Bad Cholesterol-Dont Always Blame Your Parents

While it is possible to inherit bad cholesterol, a condition that is called familial hypercholesterolemia, it can also be caused by many lifestyle factors which you have more control over.

So, whether you inherit bad cholesterol or you have it from certain lifestyle choices you’ve made… or both, you have several options open to you to get your cholesterol levels back down to safer levels.

Your first stop needs to be your doctors office. Your doctor can not only do a blood test to let you know if your cholesterol levels are where they should be, he can also help guide you through the choices of treatment options if your levels aren’t where they should be.

Cholesterol can be both “good” and “bad”. Ideally, you want normal levels of both but many people have too little of the good (HDL) and too much of the bad (LDL).

If you are worried about taking too many medications you don’t need to, you may have other options when it comes to lowering your bad and raising your good cholesterol.

Here are the things you need to keep an eye on:

1. Eat better. Don’t eat a lot of foods that are high in saturated fats and cholesterol. Instead, start eating more foods that are low in fat and high in fiber like fruits and vegetables.

2. Get more exercise. It’s as simple going for a walk everyday. Eventually, as you get stronger and in better shape, you can add other forms of exercise to your routine.

You don’t ever have to start training for marathons, and you may even start to find that you actually like to workout. It may sound crazy now, but it is true.

Once you start seeing the results and start getting stronger you may find that you like it and can’t wait to workout.

3. Combine these things and you can accomplish another thing that can help you keep your cholesterol levels in check: get to the proper weight.

It’s no big secret that eating better and getting more exercise can really help you shed the pounds.

And, when you are at the proper weight, continuing with these good habits will help you maintain that healthy weight.

You do have other options than just taking medication to control your cholesterol. If, after talking to your doctor, you both decide that medication is your best course of action than that is what you must do.

But, if you can, you may want to try one or more of these other options to get and keep your cholesterol at the proper level.

You can use these things on their own or combine them with a medication. Since many medicines can have some possibly serious side effects, you may want to try to get the results you want without having to rely on prescription medications.

Even if you inherit bad cholesterol you can still live a healthy life and get and keep your cholesterol under control. Just be willing to talk to your doctor and work with him to get the best combination of medications and diet and exercise to get your ideal cholesterol level.

Impact Of Bad Chloesterol

In this article I will give you some ideas of the potential health risks and the impact of bad cholesterol on your body. I will also provide you with some easy, real world ideas of how to lower your levels and improve your health.

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that forms your cell membranes as well as production of certain hormones and the creation of bile, so you do need cholesterol in your body.

But, many of us get too much cholesterol and the impact of bad cholesterol is really starting to show up in the case of higher instances of heart disease, diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases.

When too much cholesterol builds up in your arteries it is called plaque. This plaque buildup will then block blood flow. It is similar to what happens in the pipes in your home if you have hard water.

Over time you will get a buildup in the pipes and it can become so thick that the water either can’t flow or the flow is slowed down to almost nothing.

This clogging of the arteries deprives your vital organs, such as your brain and heart, of the blood it needs and the consequences can be life threatening – you can have a heart attack or a stroke.

Another problem with a high buildup of plaque is atherosclerosis which is a hardening of the arteries. If your arteries become too built up with plaque, the artery itself can become brittle and eventually burst which can lead to blood clots.

OK, now that you know how dangerous it can be to have too high of a cholesterol level, what can you do about it?

Well, this part is actually pretty easy. There are many things that can be done that will help you get your levels back into a normal balance.

The first thing you need to do is talk to your doctor to get suggestions. Many doctors will prescribe a prescription medication to help control your cholesterol levels.

But, if you don’t want to have to deal with all the side effects, not to mention the cost, of taking prescription drugs, ask your doctor what other things you can do.

In some cases your levels may be so high that you need to get them lowered as soon as you can so medication may be the best choice.

Other times, though, you may have levels that are only borderline or mildly elevated and if that is the case you may be able to make the needed changes with some simple lifestyle changes.

It really can be as simple as eating more lean protein, vegetables and fruit and cutting way back on any fast food and food that is high in fat.

Add some consistent exercise into the mix and you may just find that you are able to control your levels naturally, without having to add any prescription medications to your daily routine.

So, if you are concerned with the impact of bad cholesterol now is the time to act. After you have spoken with your doctor work with him to establish the best course of action for you and your needs.

How Do I Relieve Knee Swelling

It doesn’t matter if you recently suffered a knee injury or if you have had a problem knee for a long time; swelling in and around the knee causes a fair amount of pain and discomfort. Chances are that every time it flares up you are asking yourself “how do I relieve knee swelling”. That may seem like a tricky question on the surface, but the truth is that there are effective remedies that can help.

Though it may sound rather obvious, the quickest way to get some relief is to take your weight off your knee. Extra pressure and strain isn’t going to do anything but make the problem worse. Resting your leg doesn’t always cure the swelling, but it doesn’t hurt either. So go ahead and sit or lie down and relax and take a load off your knees. The longer you can stay off your knee the better; a full day would be ideal.

Now that you are resting your knee, you should elevate your legs. Use pillows, the arm of a comfy couch, or even a stack of books to get your legs as high as you comfortably can. This draws blood away from the inflamed area and helps to reduce swelling.

Put an ice pack (or bag of frozen vegetables) on the knee right after swelling begins. Do 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off for 1 to 2 hours. You need to take the ice off for a while to prevent frostbite. The cold will help to reduce swelling and will also numb the area so it’s more comfortable. However, do not apply heat. You may think heat would feel good, but heat is a big no-no because it potentially leads to even worse problems; therefore it’s best to only apply cold to your swollen knee.

Anti-inflammatory medications can help to bring the swelling down. Aspirin and ibuprofen, as well as other products, can be purchased at the store. You can also check with your doctor to see if they are able to prescribe a good medication to reduce the inflammation.

Once you are back on your feet, you should do what you can to support your knee and keep some of your weight off of it. Winding a stretchy fabric bandage around will help. Also, using crutches or a cane, if the swelling and pain are moderate to severe, will put less strain on your knee.

There is a centuries-old answer to the question of how do I relieve knee swelling, and that is Epsom salts. Applying a wet towel that has been soaked in Epsom salts or taking a bath in them can help because they contain a fair amount of magnesium; thereby reducing swelling. Another benefit is that the salts can help to soothe your stress as well.

Regardless of which methods you use, it is very important that you see your doctor if the swelling doesn’t go away, or if it’s a recurring problem. Either way, there are things you can do to relieve knee swelling.

Good And Bad Cholesterol

Your body has both good and bad cholesterol. In order to increase the good and lower the bad you have many choices.

Of course, to control your good and bad cholesterol you can use medicine and diet factors.

If you want to control your cholesterol you can combine one or more of these factors.

Depending on you and what your cholesterol levels are, you may find that eating a little better and getting more exercise may be all you need to do to help lower your bad (LDL) and raise your good (HDL).

Of course, before you do anything make sure you talk to your doctor.

This is important because you may have other health issues in addition to cholesterol and your doctor can guide you through the process and help ensure that you don’t make one thing worse by concentrating on another.

So, here are some ideas that may help you get the cholesterol levels you need:

1. Cut down on the amount of fat you get from your diet by cutting back on foods like meats and dairy. And not eating out at a fast food place is kind of a no brainer.

2. Cut way back on the amount of sugar you get in your diet. And when figuring out how much sugar you get, don’t forget to include the amount of sugar that is in the beverages you drink.

If you start reading the labels of some drinks you will be amazed (appalled) at the amount of sugar they contain. Have you ever read the label for a so called energy drink?

Some people will substitute diet drinks but before you do you may want to ask yourself one question; is this sugar substitute really a good thing for my body?

My personal decision is to stay away from as many man made chemicals as I reasonably can. I don’t drink diet soda for that reason.

I know that small amounts of sugar won’t harm me, but I’m not so sure about any amount of artificial sweetener.

3. Figure out how much sodium you get in your diet and then cut back if you need to. Most people who eat a lot of processed foods will be getting a lot of sodium in their diet, possibly more than they should be.

All of these things can work together to help you keep not only your cholesterol levels in check but help keep your heart safe and strong too.

Instead of thinking that you can’t eat anything, here are some foods that may be able to help your cholesterol levels: walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts and pecans.

But, don’t get carried away. If you eat too many of these nuts you will be diminishing the benefit since these nuts are all high in fat. One cup a day is plenty.

Oatmeal and oat bran have also been shown to help lower cholesterol levels when eaten on a regular basis.

Fish and other foods high in Omega – 3 fatty acids such as salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel and lake trout.

As you can see, keeping your good and bad cholesterol levels in check may be as simple as adding or deleting some foods from