High levels of cholesterol in the body can lead to cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, and stroke. High cholesterol has a lack of symptoms, due to which it is often dubbed a silent killer. A blood test is required to identify high cholesterol levels.
Cold feet and legs
High cholesterol levels can make your feet or legs feel cold
or chilly all around the year, even in summers. This may be an indicator that
you have PAD, though it does not necessarily mean PAD only. However, if you
feel like one leg or foot is cold, but not the other, it could be time to talk
to your doctor.
Skin color alteration
A decrease in the flow of the blood due to high cholesterol
can also change the color of your skin. That's because the cells are not
getting proper nourishment due to decreased flow of blood carrying nutrients
and oxygen. Trying to elevate the legs, for example, can lead the skin to look
pale, but hanging it from a table can cause the skin to seem purple or bluish.
Pain
Leg pain is among the most common symptoms of PAD. When the
arteries of your legs are clogged, a sufficient, required amount of oxygen-rich
blood does not reach your lower part. It can make your leg feel heavy and
tired. Most people with high cholesterol levels complain about burning pain in
the lower limbs. One may feel pain in any part of the leg, from the calf to the
thigh or buttock, and it may be in one or both legs. This happens most often
from taking part in physical activities such as walking, jogging, and stair
climbing. This discomfort is usually gone when you take a rest and may be felt
again when you start moving your legs again.
Cramps during night
Intense leg cramps when sleeping is another common symptom
of high cholesterol levels damaging the arteries of the lower limbs. The
condition gets worse at night while sleeping. People with PAD may have cramps
or spasms when sleeping, most commonly in the heel, forefoot, or toes. Dangling
the foot off the bed or sitting can be the option to get relief from it, which
allows gravity to assist blood flow to the feet.
After one has been diagnosed with high cholesterol one should make changes in diet and lifestyle manners in order to bring down the level of the low-density lipoprotein or the bad cholesterol.
