High Cholesterol Symptoms: Warning Signs to Watch Out For in Your Fingers And Toes

High cholesterol is often referred to as a ‘silent killer’ because it rarely exhibits warning symptoms and gradually causes damage over time. However, your fingers and toes can sometimes detect the condition.

Your body requires cholesterol, a type of fat, to function properly. However, having too much cholesterol in your blood can be harmful to your health. Cholesterol builds up in our body when we include fatty foods in our diet or lack of exercise, smoke, alcohol and excess body weight. High cholesterol is often referred to as a “silent killer” because it rarely exhibits warning symptoms and gradually causes damage over time. However, your fingers and toes can sometimes detect the condition.

How are Cholesterol Levels Connected With Fingers And Toes?

Dr Narayan Gadkar, Consultant Cardiologist, Zen Multi speciality Hospital, Chembur says ”One of the biggest warning signs of high cholesterol includes painful fingers and toes. The signs could be the result of an accumulation of cholesterol that clogs the blood vessels in the legs and hands.”

1. Pain in the legs, worsening during a walk can also happen owing to high cholesterol levels forming plaques and interrupting blood flow in the legs .
2. Another sign is where one may notice yellow colour deposits (lumpy growth) on palms, elbows, and buttocks.
3. Person suffering from high cholesterol may see yellowish-coloured deposits on the skin, mainly near the eye, palm, and the back of the lower legs.
4. One will also see yellowish and orange-coloured growths or deposits on the upper eyelid when the cholesterol levels are elevated. Moreover, some can also experience cold legs or feet.
5. Other symptoms include physical changes in the legs and feet resulting in the white or yellow colour of the nails and skin. According to doctors, your toenails may grow more slowly or become thickened, or deformed in case of high cholesterol levels.

How to Prevent High Cholesterol?

High cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease and heart attacks. Although medications can manage cholesterol, certain lifestyle changes can also help you reduce bad cholesterol. Eating heart-healthy foods, quitting smoking or drinking, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy body weight are some of the changes that one should include in his or her lifestyle. Thus, it is need of an hour to keep your cholesterol levels in check. Also, take note of the symptoms and seek timely intervention.