What You Need to Know about Treating Your High Cholesterol
Once you are diagnosed with high cholesterol levels, you need to change your lifestyle with the advice of your health care provider. Your doctor can prescribe you medication to help keep your cholesterol levels in check and provide you information on what type of diet and exercise you should engage in.
High cholesterol levels can affect anyone especially people who are overweight, have poor eating habits, suffering from other health conditions, and those with a family history of high cholesterol. Treatment is tricky because not everyone reacts to medication the same way, especially when you are already taking other medications for other health problems.
When you visit your doctor, do not be afraid to disclose medications that you are already taking or ask questions on how your new medication can affect you. Here are some things you can ask to help you adjust to your cholesterol medication plan safely:
- Type of drug – make sure that you understand the type of drug you are taking. Your doctor might prescribe one or more types of medicine depending on what you need.
- Interaction with other medication – ask if your prescribed medication will have impact with other medications or supplements you are already taking.
- Possible side effects – it always helps to know what to expect when taking a new medication. Usually, cholesterol medication side effects include nausea, abdominal discomfort, and muscle pain.
- Foods you might need to avoid – a good example is grapefruit which is found to interact with cholesterol lowering statins.
Other than your medication, you also need to change your lifestyle. Doctors would normally ask you to lose weight if you are overweight, quit smoking, opt for healthier foods, and exercise regularly to help manage your cholesterol levels. It is important to manage your cholesterol levels to avoid serious health problems like cardiovascular disease.
Source:
http://www.realage.com/health-guides/cholesterol-treatment?src=edit&chan=health-guide&con=gallery
