Diarrhea

Diarrhea is a condition in which the stool is dilute or watery with a frequency more often than usual. Generally, the cause of diarrhea is food or drink that is dirty and contaminated with microorganisms.

Many people suffer from diarrhea once or twice a year. Usually diarrhea lasts 2-3 days and can be treated with over-the-counter medications. But in special cases, diarrhea can last for weeks.

Diarrhea is still a major health problem in developing countries, including Indonesia. This is due to the morbidity rate (comparison between sick and healthy people in a population) and mortality is high. Diarrhea is ranked thirteen causes of death in general in Indonesia with a proportion of 3.5 percent. As for the category of infectious diseases, diarrhea ranked third.

The largest age group experienced diarrhea was toddlers, which was 16.7 percent. The prevalence of diarrhea was slightly higher in boys (14.8 percent) than girls (12.5 percent). The results also show that the highest prevalence of diarrhea occurs in children who live in homes without access to clean water is 18.4 percent.

(Data taken from research result of RI Department of Health in 2007)

Generally, diarrhea can last up to a week and can heal without any treatment. However, if the condition you are experiencing is severe enough, immediately consult a doctor.

To find out if the patient has diarrhea and the cause, the doctor first gathers information about the symptoms experienced. The doctor will ask for the texture of the stool, the frequency of defecation, the daily habits of the patient. In addition, you should also inform your doctor if any other symptoms are present (high fever), unusual food intake, psychological factors, and certain medications that may be underway. These may include stool sample analysis, blood tests, and rectal examination .

There are several checks that can be done to diagnose diarrhea, among others:

1. Fecal analysis

The doctor will ask you to submit a stool sample for analysis. It aims to identify possible infections. This analysis is done if you have experienced diarrhea for more than two weeks, there is blood or pus in the stool, or there are other symptoms that accompany. In addition, this examination is also necessary if you have diarrhea after hospitalization or due to a weak immune system (people with HIV).

2. Blood tests

Your doctor will ask you to take a blood test if diarrhea is suspected as a symptom of another illness. For example, blood test results show inflammation. This is one of the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease.

3. Rectal examination

If the patient is over 50 years old or has diarrhea that is difficult to recover, the doctor will perform a digital rectal examination. How to check is to insert a finger into the rectum to check for abnormal conditions. This examination aims to diagnose diseases associated with the rectum and intestines.

4. Additional checks

The doctor may also suggest the following checks to help conclude the diagnosis:

• Sigmoidoscopy, insert sigmoidoscope tool (thin and flexible tube with camera at the end) into the rectum up to the intestine

• Colonoscopy, the procedure is similar to sigmoidoscopy but larger tubes are used (colonoscopy) to examine overall bowel conditions

Symptoms

In each patient, the symptoms of diarrhea are different. Some people secrete very dilute stools, while others secrete feces that are less dilute. However, there are some symptoms that are often associated with diarrhea. These symptoms include stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting, headaches, and loss of appetite.

Generally in adults, diarrhea will recover within 2-4 days. In children, longer recovery time is 5-7 days. If the diarrhea lasts more than a week or the condition gets worse, check your doctor immediately. Beware also signs of dehydration during the recovery period.

Diarrhea and Dehydration

Fluid secretion through excessive feces coupled with loss of appetite can affect dehydration. This condition should be addressed as it can be fatal. Dehydration itself is easier to occur in children. This is because the resistance of children to dehydration is lower than adults.

Symptoms of dehydration in children include:

• Rarely urinate

• Her mouth is dry or cry without tears

• Bloody stool, red or black

• Seemed to be drowsy and unresponsive

• Looks concave to eyes or stomach

• If the pinched skin does not return (turgor decreases)

While signs of dehydration in adults include:

• Fatigue and lack of energy

• Missing appetite

• Nausea

•Dizzy

• The tongue feels dry

• The eyes look sunken

•             Muscle cramp

•             Heart beat

Treatment

The symptoms of diarrhea will generally disappear by itself without any treatment assistance. Usually diarrhea lasts up to 7 days. In certain cases, diarrhea may last longer depending on the cause. You can do the following to relieve the condition that is being experienced:

Expand fluid intake

When you have diarrhea, you should consume more fluids. Especially if accompanied by vomiting. This is needed to avoid and handle dehydration. Drink a little but often. Better to enter the liquid slightly than not at all. If enough fluid intake, urine will be light yellow or almost clear. Avoid giving fruit juice or soft drinks because it will make diarrhea worse.

Eat

At the time of diarrhea, experts recommend that you do not eat solid foods first. At least until you are able to eat normally. Eat smaller portions than usual. Also avoid fatty and spicy foods.

Do not give solid foods to children if they are dehydrated. Wait until they consume enough fluids. New foods can be given after they no longer show signs of dehydration. If the child is not dehydrated, give the food as usual.

Oralital fluid

For people with diarrhea who are susceptible to dehydration, doctors will recommend the use of ORS. Those of you who are weak-minded, aged over 60 years, and have a history of serious health are strongly advised to consume ORS.

Oralite is sold freely in pharmacies. You just mix it with water. The function of ORS is to replace the salt, glucose, and other essential minerals that may be lost when experiencing fluid shortage.

For patients with children, doctors will suggest oralit if visible signs of dehydration. Oralite can be given every time the child defecates. The amount depends on the child's weight.

Use of drugs

Antidiarrheal drugs can reduce the symptoms of diarrhea and shorten its duration. However, actual medication is not necessary because the immune system will fight it naturally. The most commonly used antidiarrheal drug is loperamide because it can reduce bowel movement so that the fluid will be more absorbed. This can help overcome diarrhea.

Do not take antidiarrheal medication if diarrhea is accompanied by other symptoms such as high fever and there is blood or pus in the stool. You should immediately consult a doctor.

Use of antibiotics for diarrhea

Usually doctors will recommend the use of antibiotics if the cause of diarrhea is confirmed bacteria or if the diarrhea is very severe. It is not advisable to use antibiotics if the cause of diarrhea is not known for sure. This is because antibiotics will not work if the cause of infection is a virus. And if used for minor ailments will reduce the effects of antibiotics against more serious conditions.

Pain relief medication

The painkiller can not cope with diarrhea. However, administration of paracetamol or ibuprofen may help relieve symptoms that accompany diarrhea such as fever and headache. Make sure you provide the appropriate medication symptoms and follow the instructions for use.

Treatment of the main condition

If you have previously been diagnosed with certain diseases that can cause diarrhea, you should first treat the disease. This will alleviate the condition of the diarrhea. If the main condition is not handled appropriately, then the diarrhea as a symptom will continue.

Cause

Diarrhea generally occurs when fluids from food can not be absorbed intestine well. Or there is too much fluid secreted into the intestine. Normally, the colon will absorb the liquid from the food we consume and leave the stool (feses) half solid. If the liquid from the food is not absorbed well, then the result of the stool will be dilute or even liquid. This condition is influenced by many factors so that diarrhea can be short or long.

Short-lived diarrhea

Usually this diarrhea is a symptom of intestinal infection, caused by:

• Viruses, such as rotavirus

• Bacteria, such as campylobacter

• Parasites, such as intestinal giardia

Other causes include psychological factors (feel anxious), consume alcohol, food allergies, appendicitis, or side effects of drugs.

Long-term diarrhea

Can be caused by:

• Colon syndrome

• Celiac disease, a disease that causes the body to reject gluten protein

• Crohn's disease, inflammation of the lining of the digestive system

• Chronic inflammation of the pancreas

• Colon cancer

• Side effects of abdominal removal (gastrectomy)

KIDNEYS

The kidneys are two red-shaped organs residing on both sides of the upper back, just below the human rib cage. Kidneys as big as the fist of an adult have functions:

    Scrape the metabolic dregs of the body, byproducts, and excess fluid from the blood.
    Maintain a balance of salt and mineral levels in the body.
    Produce renin, an enzyme that helps regulate blood pressure.
    Produce active compounds of vitamin D to maintain bone health.
    Produce erythropoietin compounds that function to stimulate the production of red blood cells.
    Regulates levels of chemical compounds in the body that ultimately help the heart and muscles function properly.
Kidney Disease-Alodokter
When the kidneys are damaged or damaged, the remnants of the body's metabolism and excess fluid can accumulate in the body until eventually causing swelling of the ankle, vomiting, feeling weakness, shortness of breath, and lack of sleep. Kidney disease is a dangerous condition which, if left untreated, kidneys can stop functioning. If the kidney stops functioning, the result can be deadly.Acute Kidney DiseaseAcute kidney disease is a kidney condition that suddenly stops functioning. If this condition is not treated immediately result in levels of salt and abnormal chemicals in the body. This situation makes other organs affected and can not work properly. The following are symptoms that generally arise due to acute kidney disease, among others:

    Nausea and vomiting
    Dehydration
    Abdominal pain and slight back hip pain
    High blood pressure
    Confusion
    Fluid accumulation in some parts of the body or edema
The following are people at risk for acute kidney disease.

    Have had kidney disorders or other chronic diseases such as heart failure, liver disease, or diabetes.
    Being over 65 years old.
    Dehydrated.
    Have severe infection or sepsis.
    Take certain medications.
    Blockage of the urethra.
Acute kidney disease is caused by several things below.

    The volume of blood in the body decreases. Can occur due to bleeding, diarrhea, or vomiting with severe dehydration.
    Disorders with blood vessels. Conditions that occur due to inflammation or inhibition of major blood vessels that supply blood flow to the kidneys, for example because vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessel walls that block blood flow).
    The blood the heart pumps is less than normal. May occur due to heart failure, liver failure, or sepsis.
    Some medications may also affect the blood supply to the kidneys or react to the kidneys directly.
To confirm the diagnosis of acute kidney disease, doctors need to perform urine tests and blood tests. The doctor will measure the levels of creatinine (a chemical waste product produced by the muscles of the body) in the blood, which should be low in levels because it is removed by a healthy kidney. The doctor will inquire about your medical history and the medication you are taking to find out the underlying cause of the condition.
Treatment of acute kidney disease is highly dependent on the factors that have caused this condition from the very beginning. By treating the underlying cause, the majority of patients are potentially cured of the kidney disease experienced. Here are some steps that need to be done to treat mild acute kidney disease:

    Treat infections that cause acute kidney disease.
    Advise to increase fluid consumption to avoid dehydration that can exacerbate acute kidney disease suffered.
    Stopping the consumption of drugs that may be the cause of acute kidney disease.
    Perform blood tests to monitor creatinine and salt levels.
If the cause of acute kidney disease is not known with certainty, your doctor will advise you to see a specialist kidney (nephrology) or urology specialist. Here are some conditions that require patients with acute kidney disease to be hospitalized.

    There is a risk of urinary tract obstruction, for example caused by prostate disease.
    The underlying cause of acute kidney disease requires immediate treatment. Most people need to be treated not because of acute kidney disease, but because of the underlying conditions.
    Patient conditions worsen and require regular blood and urine tests to monitor their kidney performance and have complications.

PULMONARY INFECTION

Pulmonary infection is an inflammatory disease of the lungs caused by bacterial microorganisms, fungi, parasites, or viruses. There are many types of infectious diseases in the lungs, such as pneumonia (lung wet), bronchitis, tuberculosis, and others. Infectious diseases of the lungs can worsen and can be a more severe problem if left untreated. This article will explain some of the most common symptoms of lung infection, causes, and necessary handling measures. You will also find some useful tips for treating lung infections before the disease becomes more serious. Understanding Lung Infection Another name of a lung infection is a lower respiratory tract infection. The term is also often used to refer to conditions of pneumonia or wet lung. A person affected by a lung infection will likely feel very weak and look so sick. Lung infections are of two forms, chronic and acute. When the diagnosis is made, it usually takes the form of bronchitis or pneumonia. Bronchitis is most often caused by viral infections, although it can also be caused by bacteria. On the other hand, pneumonia can occur from a variety of different factors such as from environmental or nosocomial infections (infection acquired while in hospital). Certain lung infections tend to affect people who have weakened immune systems such as children, pregnant women or the elderly. The main symptoms of lung infection lung infection Symptoms of viral infections due to virus Some symptoms that often appear in viral infections caused by the lung include: cough, sore throat, mild fever, and colds. Other symptoms reported by the patient include difficulty breathing, wheezing and dehydration. In severe cases, the lips may look bluish that indicates that the body is deprived of oxygen. Symptoms of Bacterial Lung Infection Bacterial lung infections are usually caused by methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The most common symptom of this bacterial lung infection is inflammation (pneumonia). This happens as a result of the release of histamine by infected cells, causing swelling of the airways as well as the production of mucus and redness due to increased blood flow. Skin irritation can also occur in MRSA-related lung infections. The patient's skin may appear red, dry and itchy. If there is a lump like acne and pus, then be careful because it tends to be highly contagious through skin contact. Other symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, fever, chills, aches, fatigue, and urinary tract infections in more severe cases. Symptoms of Candida-induced Lung Infection Lung Infection of lung by Candida Fungus can cause symptoms similar to pneumonia and flu. Common symptoms of this infection are mild fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, chills, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, cough and excessive mucus production. Important!! In the case of viral or bacterial infections, it tends to cause a more severe fever, difficulty breathing, changes in color and texture of the mucus, and pain or tightness in the chest that feels worse when coughing or breathing deeply. When to Go to a Doctor? If you have any or all of the above symptoms of pulmonary infection, let alone the symptoms worsen such as high fever, shortness of breath, and cough up phlegm constantly, then immediately see a doctor. Here are the conditions that require immediate access to a doctor: Children younger than two years Elderly over 65 Have other diseases or a weakened immune system Are undergoing chemotherapy or treatment that affects the immune system. Medical Treatment of Antibiotic Lung Infection. Bacterial pneumonia is treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics usually begin to relieve symptoms within three days. If symptoms persist, then check back to the doctor for evaluation. Antiviral drugs. Pneumonia and other lung infections due to virus sometimes require antiviral drugs especially for those with weak immune systems. These drugs usually begin to relieve symptoms within one to three weeks. Fever medicine. It is a drug to lower high body temperature, there are many choices of fever drugs, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen. Cough medicine. Usually needed cough medicine that functions to thin the sputum and helps blood out. In this case used Cough Phlegm Drug like amboxol. Inpatient. In more severe conditions when the drug is not working effectively, then the next step is hospitalization.

HEART DISEASE

Heart disease or in medical terms is called coronary heart disease is a condition that occurs when the main blood vessels that supply blood to the heart (coronary arteries) are damaged. Piles of cholesterol in the blood vessels and inflammation process is suspected to be the cause of this disease.
When there is cholesterol buildup (plaque), coronary blood vessels will narrow so that the flow of blood and oxygen supply to the heart will be hampered. Lack of blood flow will cause pain in the chest (angina) and shortness of breath, until a time of total obstruction in the blood flow to the heart or the so-called heart attack.
Coronary heart disease is one of the highest causes of death in the world. The World Heart Federation estimates the death rate from coronary heart disease in Southeast Asia to reach 1.8 million cases in 2014. In Indonesia alone in 2013 there were recorded at least 883,447 people diagnosed with coronary heart disease in Indonesia with the majority of patients aged 55-64 years. Mortality rate due to heart disease was quite high, which is about 45 percent of all deaths in Indonesia.Causes of Coronary Heart DiseaseCoronary heart disease occurs when the blood supply to the heart through the coronary blood vessels is inhibited by fat. The accumulation of fat in the blood vessels is known as atherosclerosis and is a major cause of coronary heart disease.
In addition to reducing the blood supply to the heart, atherosclerosis can also cause the formation of blood clots. If this happens, the blood flow to the heart is completely blocked and a heart attack occurs. The factors that trigger atherosclerosis include high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, and high blood pressure (hypertension).Types and Complications of Coronary Heart DiseaseCoronary heart disease is divided into two types that are categorized by the level of blood flow inhibition, namely angina (sitting wind) and heart attack.
Untreated heart disease will lead to deadly complications. When not receiving enough blood supply to be too weak to pump blood, the heart's performance will decrease. Conditions like this can make the fluid accumulate in the lungs so that patients will have trouble breathing. This case is known as heart failure. These complications can occur suddenly or gradually.Diagnosis of Coronary Heart DiseaseIn the early stages, doctors will usually ask about symptoms, family health history, and your lifestyle. If you suspect you have heart disease, your doctor may recommend that you undergo multiple checks to confirm the diagnosis. For example blood tests, X-rays, electrocardiogram (EKG), coronary angiography, CT scan, or MRI scan.
Treatment For Coronary Heart Disease
If you have heart disease, you are strongly encouraged to change your lifestyle such as maintaining your diet, regular exercise, taking medication regularly and as directed by your doctor, and quitting smoking. Coronary heart disease can not be cured, but can be prevented from getting worse. The doctor will advise surgery steps to deal with the disease if necessary. The goal in the treatment of heart disease is to control symptoms and reduce the risk of fatal attacks such as heart attacks.Prevention of Coronary Heart DiseaseThere are some simple precautions to avoid heart disease, namely:

    Quit smoking.
    Applying a healthy lifestyle, such as reducing high cholesterol foods, increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables, and exercise regularly.
    Controlling blood sugar levels.
    Maintain a healthy weight.
    Reduce alcohol consumption.

HYPERTENSION

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a chronic condition in which blood pressure in artery walls (blood vessels clean) increases. This condition is known as a "silent killer" because it rarely has any obvious symptoms. The only way to know if you have hypertension is to measure blood pressure.
If you have not checked and do not know your blood pressure, ask your doctor to check it out. All adults should check their blood pressure at least once every five years.
Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) in 2013 showed that hypertensive patients aged over 18 years reached 25.8 percent of the total population of Indonesia. Of these, women with hypertension were 6 percent more likely than men. While diagnosed by health personnel only reached about 9.4 percent. This means there are still many people with hypertension that is not affordable and diagnosed by health personnel and not undergoing treatment as directed by health personnel. It causes hypertension as one of the highest causes of death in Indonesia.Risk of HypertensionThe cause of hypertension has not been ascertained in more than 90 percent of cases. As you get older, your chances of suffering from hypertension will also increase. The following are the trigger factors that are thought to affect the increased risk of hypertension.

    Being over 65 years old.
    Eat lots of salt.
    Overweight.
    Have a family with hypertension.
    Less to eat fruits and vegetables.
    Rarely exercise.
    Drinking too much coffee (or other drinks containing caffeine).
    Too much alcohol.
The risk of developing hypertension can be reduced by changing the things above and applying a healthier lifestyle. Regular blood pressure checks can also help diagnosis in the early stages. The diagnosis of hypertension as early as possible will increase the likelihood of lowering blood pressure to normal levels. This can be done by changing lifestyles to be healthier without the need to take medication.Measuring blood pressureThe power of blood in pressing the artery wall when pumped by the heart to the rest of the body determines the size of blood pressure. Pressure that is too high will burden your arteries and heart, so people with hypertension have the potential to have heart attacks, strokes, or kidney disease.
Measurement of blood pressure in mercury doses per millimeter (mmHG) and recorded in two numbers, namely systolic and diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure is the blood pressure when the heart beats pumping blood out. While diastolic pressure is the blood pressure when the heart does not contract (relaxation phase). Currently the blood that has just pumped out the heart (systolic pressure), is in the arteries and diastolic pressure also shows the strength of artery walls to restrain blood flow rate.
Your blood pressure is 130 per 90 or 130/90 mmHg, meaning you have 130 mmHg systolic pressure and 90 mmHg diastolic pressure. Normal blood pressure levels are below 120/80 mmHg.
You will be deemed to have hypertension or high blood pressure if the result of multiple examinations, your blood pressure still reaches 140/90 mmHg or higher.Prevention and Treatment of HypertensionIf your blood pressure is high, monitor it closely until it goes down and can be controlled properly. Doctors usually suggest changes in lifestyle that are included in the treatment for hypertension as well as prevention. These steps can be implemented through:

    Eat healthy foods.
    Reduce consumption of salt and caffeine.
    Quit smoking.
    Exercise regularly.
    Lose weight, if needed.
    Reduce alcohol consumption.
Preventing hypertension is easier and cheaper than treatment. Therefore, prevention should be done as early as possible. If left for too long, hypertension can lead to complications that can even threaten the lives of patients.

URIC ACID

Uric acid is the residual metabolism of purine substances derived from the foods we consume or byproducts from the breakdown of cells in the blood. Normal uric acid levels are 2.4 - 6 for women and 3.0 - 7 for men. Uric acid disease is a disease characterized by abrupt and recurrent attacks of painful arthritis due to crystal monosodium crystal deposits, collected in the joints as a result of high levels of uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia).
Under normal circumstances, uric acid is released in the body through the feces and urine, but because the kidneys are unable to excrete uric acid, it increases levels in the body. Another thing that can increase uric acid levels is that we consume too much food containing many purines. Excess uric acid will then accumulate in the joints causing pain or swelling.
Symptoms of uric acid is very important to recognize because the disease is very vulnerable to happen to anyone. Uric acid is a type of disease that is very disturbing for the sufferer because it causes pain in the joints that can lead to inhibition of activity. Therefore, it is very important to recognize the symptoms of uric acid in order to prevent this disease can be done immediately.Symptoms of Uric Acid Disease include:

    Tingling and scratching
    Pain especially at night and morning after awakening from sleep
    Joints look swollen, redness, heat, and feel very painful
In addition to joint pain, high uric acid can cause kidney stones as well as in the long term, will damage the kidney permanently until it takes lifelong dialysis. High uric acid levels were also associated with the incidence of diabetes mellitus (diabetes) and hypertension.
In addition, the symptoms of gout can also be seen from unhealthy body circumstances such as fever, chills, and feeling unwell. Symptoms of other uric acids such as very rapid heartbeat can also occur. Symptoms of uric acid will generally appear in middle age for men, whereas in women the symptoms of uric acid will begin to appear after menopause. The initial uric acid strain that is felt in the joints usually lasts for several days and then disappears until the next attack. Symptoms of uric acid should be really wary of avoiding more severe uric acid attacks.
Understanding Uric Acid - Gelaja - Causes and How to PreventCauses of Uric Acid
This uric acid disease can not be avoided, but there are several ways to control it as it controls the food consumed. Foods to avoid because they contain lots of purines include: side dishes (offal, liver, kidney, spleen, tripe, intestine, lung and brain), sea food (shrimp, clams, squid, crab), canned food (corned beef and sardines) , Meat, eggs, thick broth, beans and dairy (tempe, soy milk, tauco, emping, melinjo, bean sprouts), vegetables (spinach, cassava leaves, kale, asparagus, cauliflower, beans), fruits (durian , Avocado, pineapple, coconut water), and alcoholic beverages (beer, tape, wine).
To prevent recurrence is recommended to drink plenty of water. While for patients who are overweight, if weight is reduced, uric acid levels are often close to normalHow to Prevent Uric Acid
How to prevent and treat it? The best way would be to avoid high purine foods as mentioned above. Some interesting things include:

    Consumption of coffee (not tea) can reduce uric acid levels significantly (interesting yes?)
    In the event of an acute attack, uric acid-lowering drugs actually exacerbate the pain so should be avoided
    Consumption of alcohol will reduce the discharge of uric acid through the kidneys
    Drinking water at least 8 glasses a day is effective to get rid of uric acid
If the above you have done and have not succeeded, it is necessary role of doctors in giving the drug gout controller.

HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

High cholesterol or hypercholesterolemia is a condition in which the level of cholesterol in the blood that goes beyond normal levels. Cholesterol itself is a waxy fat compound that is mostly produced in the liver and some of it is obtained from food. High cholesterol conditions can increase the risk of serious illness. Diseases that lurk high cholesterol sufferers are usually associated with the presence of excessive cholesterol deposition in blood vessels, such as strokes and heart attacks.
According to the WHO report in 2011, it is estimated that about 35 percent of Indonesia's population has higher cholesterol levels than normal limits good for health. This means that one-third of Indonesia's population at high risk of artery disease.
Excess cholesterol can result from eating foods with high cholesterol content or lack of exercise. However, this condition can also occur due to hereditary factors.
About Cholesterol
Actually cholesterol is needed by the body to help build new cells so that the body can keep functioning normally. In addition, cholesterol also helps the body produce vitamin D, a number of hormones, and bile acids to digest fats.
In the blood, cholesterol is carried by proteins. Combined both are called lipoproteins. The two main types of lipoproteins are low-density lipoproteins (LDL) commonly called bad cholesterol and high-density lipoproteins (HDL) commonly called good cholesterol.
LDL is responsible for transporting cholesterol from the liver to the cells in need. But if the amount of cholesterol exceeds the need, it can settle on the walls of the arteries and cause disease. On the other hand, HDL, as opposed to LDL, is responsible for transporting cholesterol back into the liver. Inside the liver, cholesterol will be destroyed or expelled by the body through feces.
The suggested blood cholesterol levels may vary depending on whether the person has a higher or lower risk of developing artery disease. The amount of cholesterol in the blood can be measured by doing a blood test.
You should check blood cholesterol levels if you are overweight, have high blood pressure, have diabetes, or have other diseases that can increase your cholesterol levels.
Diagnosis of cholesterol levels is also recommended if a person has a close family who suffer from cholesterol disease, or a close family who has a history of cardiovascular disease at an early age.
For those who have been diagnosed with coronary heart disease, mild stroke, or peripheral arterial disease, it is advisable to perform this examination as well.
The impact of high cholesterol
When excessive cholesterol settles on the walls of the arteries, the blood flow in the heart, brain, and other body parts can be inhibited. In other words, high cholesterol increases a person's risk of arterial constriction or atherosclerosis, blood clots in certain body parts, minor strokes, strokes, and heart attacks.
High cholesterol levels can also cause pain in the front of the chest or on the arm (angina) when a person experiences stress or heavy physical activity. In addition, high cholesterol also increases a person's risk of coronary heart disease.
If you do not change your diet and do not quit smoking, people with high cholesterol will be more at risk of stroke or heart disease. In cigarettes found a chemical called acrolein. This substance can stop the activity of good cholesterol or HDL to transport fat deposits to the liver. As a result, arterial narrowing or atherosclerosis may occur.
In addition, the risk of the patient also increases if he suffers from hypertension, diabetes, or has a family suffering from heart disease or stroke.
High cholesterol can also be caused by a genetic condition (heredity) called familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH). Cholesterol levels of patients with this condition remain high despite eating healthy foods.How to prevent or lower cholesterol levelsHealthy lifestyle is necessary in treating high cholesterol conditions. Eating a healthy and balanced nutritious diet is one of the main steps that can be done in preventing or lowering cholesterol levels. Fat content in foods should be low. Try changing the consumption of foods containing saturated fats with fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains (eg whole wheat bread). That way, cholesterol levels in the body will remain low. In addition to a healthy diet, immediately start exercising regularly and lose weight for those who are overweight. No less important, avoid smoking.