You see your doctor every six months for a checkup. During this time, he checks your cholesterol to see how your levels are looking. If your levels are high, he may suggest some things you can do to help lower your cholesterol, and then make an appointment to check your levels again in six months. But what if you want to check your cholesterol more often? Is there a way to keep closer tabs on your cholesterol levels than just seeing your doctor every six months?
There are several ways to test your cholesterol levels at home. Your local pharmacy or drugstore probably stocks or can order a wide variety of these home cholesterol kits. Some of these kits are similar to a blood glucose meter while others use a litmus type test.
One of the least expensive of these home cholesterol tests allows you to place a drop of blood on a chemically treated pad. After a short period of time, you compare the resulting color on the chemical pad with a color chart which gives you a general idea of your cholesterol level. These tests are inexpensive and are ideal for those who just want to get a general idea of how their cholesterol levels are looking.
For those who want more specific results, there are also cholesterol meters available for sale. These cholesterol testers work much like a blood glucose monitor and give you a more precise reading than the litmus-type tests. To use these testers, you place a drop of blood on a test strip which is inserted into the cholesterol meter. You are then given a specific number that represents your total cholesterol level.
If you plan to check your cholesterol at home, there are some important factors to keep in mind. First, your cholesterol will not change drastically from day-to-day. Therefore, there is no reason to check your cholesterol every day. It will take at least one week for any diet or exercise changes to make a difference in your cholesterol level. It is also important to test your cholesterol at the same time each day. The best time to check your cholesterol level is in the morning before
breakfast.
Also, an at-home cholesterol check will only give you a total cholesterol level. There are no home tests yet that will discover both an HDL and LDL cholesterol level. In fact, the only way to find out your LDL or bad cholesterol level is to have your doctor conduct a fasting blood cholesterol test. While doctors sometimes conduct a nonfasting cholesterol test, only the total and HDL levels of these tests will be accurate.
If you want to keep a closer eye on your cholesterol level that just seeing your doctor every so often, there are various cholesterol tests and testers to choose from. Depending on how much money you want to spend on a tester you can get a general idea of how high your cholesterol is or you can get a pinpointed number.
Best Way To Lower Cholesterol
Like it or not, food plays a large factor in raising or lowering your cholesterol levels. The foods you eat can either lower or increase your overall bad (HDL) cholesterol and this is very important. Of course, for severely high cholesterol levels that require immediate attention, it is usually best to consult a physician. Prescription medications are necessary to treat very high blood cholesterol quickly in order to prevent serious health consequences.
But while high cholesterol can be a serious and often life-threatening problem, it is often fairly easy to lower. The tips that follow will show that the old saying “you are what you eat", still holds true.
Consuming oats can lower cholesterol greatly and has been proven to be effective. Oatmeal naturally sticks to bad cholesterol in your blood stream and removes it from the body. Even if you have eaten very unhealthy foods for many years and have chronically high cholesterol levels, oats can help to bring those levels closer to normal. This is probably the easiest way to lower your cholesterol naturally.
A second food that can be helpful to lower cholesterol is olive leaf. This plant which can also be used as an antibiotic, causes bad cholesterol to slip off platelets in blood vessels, preventing it from sticking to them and causing health problems like coronary artery clogging. Olive leaf also serves as a blood thinner. Despite all the benefits of this plant care should be taken if you are on any medications, as these could interact with it. Find out from your doctor.
Vitamins such as vitamin E can help to reduce the build up of cholesterol-plaque on the linings of arteries. Niacin can be effective in clearing cholesterol out of the body when taken in high doses. However, as with olive leaf, care should be taken if you are on any prescription medications as serious interactions may occur that could make your medication ineffective or result in other problems. Another vitamin, Chromium, can also assist in indirectly lowering bad cholesterol by keeping blood sugar at more consistent levels.
There are other things that you can stop doing to naturally lower your bad cholesterol. Smoking has been shown to contribute to a build-up of plaque in arteries due to the damage it causes to arterial walls. This causes bad cholesterol to be much more likely to stick to arteries resulting in clogging. Quitting smoking and exercising regularly can both make a major difference in the level of bad cholesterol that is present in the body. Foods such as eggs are very high in cholesterol and eating too many too often can easily cause your cholesterol to go through the roof.
Both Julia Carmichael & Robert Brown are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Robert Brown has sinced written about articles on various topics from Colon Cleanse, High Cholesterol and Types of Cancer. You can find other great tips for lowering cholesterol using herbs, diet, testing and other means by visiting http://www.lowercholesterolnews.com or click here: Lowe. Robert Brown's top article generates over 1900 views. Bookmark Robert Brown to your Favourites.
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