Heartburn and Acid Reflux Relief During Pregnancy!

Heartburn is a common condition for many, unfortunately, is even more common for women during pregnancy. The acidity is caused by stomach acid to escape and move into the esophagus. It can create pain, pressure and burn the women during pregnancy and naturally women would like a natural and effective solution that will not affect your growing baby.

There are two reasons why the heartburn becomes a particular issue for pregnant women;

First, the growing baby restricts a woman's organs. The stomach, in particular, is pushed up and restricted. This physical pressure can force stomach acid into the esophagus causing pain and can damage the esophagus.

Secondly, during pregnancy, progesterone levels rise.Progesterone serves many beneficial functions to protect the growing fetus and the strengthening of the placenta. The disadvantage is the high level can also cause swelling and relax the esophageal sphincter allowing acid to escape the stomach. Progesterone also may slow the digestion process.

Resources are available over the counter, but pregnant women should really take the advice of your doctor before taking any of these remedies. A better approach might be to adopt some simple lifestyle changes.

The following steps should be helpful...

Try to eat smaller meals and eat 5-6 meals a day instead of the traditional three large meals. To distribute food in this way you are allowing your stomach to digest food more efficiently and are avoiding creating more pressure than necessary.

Try eating more slowly. Chewing food thoroughly is also compatible with your digestive system. One way to curb your power is to put your fork down between mouthfuls.

Avoid spicy foods and foods high in acidity.. Also note any food that seems to be a trigger for heartburn.

Foods high in fat, particularly animal fats, can be difficult to digest. Eat in moderation

Drink plenty of water, as it will help your digestive system. A glass of water will also provide very fast, unfortunately temporary, acid wash solution into the stomach.

Wear comfortable clothing that does not restrict the stomach.

Never go to bed with a full stomach. . Staying vertical will allow gravity to help keep the acid in the stomach.

You can use pillows to support the upper body to help you sleep.

Finally, if you have not stopped smoking to protect your growing baby , then here's another good reason to quit smoking as well make heartburn less common.

The good news is that the symptoms of acid reflux is likely to ease after the birth of your baby...

Using the methods I have described will also help control symptoms during pregnancy.
by: Obadiea Jones
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Head Sweating And Your Social Life

Three percent of people in the world suffer from head sweating. This is a staggering statistic. If one suffers from this medical condition one need not feel alone. The entire surface of the body is covered in millions of sweat glands that control the body temperature and allows the skin to perspire to cool down when hot. When this intricate system gets out of sink excessive head sweating of a primary or secondary form takes place.

Primary hyperhidrosis (head sweating), affects ninety-five percent of suffers and can be controlled to a certain degree by natural herbal homeopathic remedies. These medications have been known to help in the reducing and sometimes in certain cases completely stopping the sweating. These natural substances may also be able to treat the underlying causes of excessive sweating. With the wide variety of herbal solutions now available on the market one should always consult a reputable herbal consultant for optimum results, when seeking a remedy for this problem.

Secondary hyperhidrosis is endured by five percent of afflicted people. This small group may have excessive head sweating problems as a result of an underlying medical condition and it is advisable to consult a doctor.

It is an embarrassing dilemma that can often create severe psychological problems in a person's life. Wet hair and an itchy scalp, clammy face ruining makeup, forever feeling untidy and self-conscious about one's appearance all leave one insecure. Together with all these problems one still has the underlying fear of unpleasant odors resulting from the perspiration.

There are a number of helpful tips that can go a long way to helping lessen the chances of a head sweat. Loose clothing made from natural fibers, avoiding nylons and other synthetic materials will help one feel cooler. Keeping one's feet cool also allows the whole body to be cooler.

Hot, peppery foods and stimulants should be avoided at all costs. One should endeavor to use natural shampoos and not to wash one's hair too often. A well balanced nourishing diet is also recommended to prevent unnecessary sweating.

Emotional stress, anxiety levels and fits of rage can also bring one severe sweating. One is encouraged to find ways to bring these feelings under control and to work towards lessening these fits of emotion that increase the possibility of undue facial perspiration.

To cope with head sweating one needs to determine into which of the two categories, primary or secondary, one falls in to and then decide on how to deal with this unattractive disorder. Little is known of the exact cause except that the problem is focused around an overactive sympathetic nervous system that in some cases my benefit from natural homeopathic remedies.
Primary hyperhidrosis (head sweating), affects ninety-five percent of suffers and can be controlled to a certain degree by natural herbal homeopathic remedies. These medications have been known to help in the reducing and sometimes in certain cases completely stopping the sweating. These natural substances may also be able to treat the underlying causes of excessive sweating. With the wide variety of herbal solutions now available on the market one should always consult a reputable herbal consultant for optimum results, when seeking a remedy for this problem.

Secondary hyperhidrosis is endured by five percent of afflicted people. This small group may have excessive head sweating problems as a result of an underlying medical condition and it is advisable to consult a doctor.

It is an embarrassing dilemma that can often create severe psychological problems in a person's life. Wet hair and an itchy scalp, clammy face ruining makeup, forever feeling untidy and self-conscious about one's appearance all leave one insecure. Together with all these problems one still has the underlying fear of unpleasant odors resulting from the perspiration.

There are a number of helpful tips that can go a long way to helping lessen the chances of a head sweat. Loose clothing made from natural fibers, avoiding nylons and other synthetic materials will help one feel cooler. Keeping one's feet cool also allows the whole body to be cooler.

Hot, peppery foods and stimulants should be avoided at all costs. One should endeavor to use natural shampoos and not to wash one's hair too often. A well balanced nourishing diet is also recommended to prevent unnecessary sweating.

Emotional stress, anxiety levels and fits of rage can also bring one severe sweating. One is encouraged to find ways to bring these feelings under control and to work towards lessening these fits of emotion that increase the possibility of undue facial perspiration.

To cope with head sweating one needs to determine into which of the two categories, primary or secondary, one falls in to and then decide on how to deal with this unattractive disorder. Little is known of the exact cause except that the problem is focused around an overactive sympathetic nervous system that in some cases my benefit from natural homeopathic remedies.
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Exercise for Stomach Fat

With all the fast food we eat, only the fortunate few avoid a flabby gut without doing some sort of exercise for stomach fat. Two of the simplest types are planks and crunches. Before you start on either, bear in mind that pregnant women shouldn’t do these exercises. Also, if you have back problems, doing crunches on a hard surface can aggravate those problems, so don’t do that. As always, warm up before and stretch afterward. Never stretch cold muscles.

Planks

For the ab plank, lie on the floor face down with your weight on your forearms and toes. Straighten your body, as rigid and straight as possible, from neck to ankles for a 30-second holds (use the old “one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi” method for counting the seconds). Do three sets of 20 (or however many you can do to begin with and work up to three sets). Thirty-second holds are a starting point. Gradually increase your hold time as you grow more accustomed to the exercise. If this becomes too easy, do the exercise with a stability ball under your feet. The more you do the more stomach fat you will burn.

Another intense exercise for stomach fat is the side plank, start in the basic plank position (weight on toes and elbows), and roll to one side, placing all your weight on one forearm and placing your upper foot on your lower foot (the weight is now on the side of your foot), and extend your free arm straight upward. Hold that for 30 seconds, and then reverse, holding that for 30 seconds. This exercise can also be done with straight arms, weight resting on the palm of the hand. That’s a little more challenging balance-wise, but like anything else, it gets easier with practice. Again, the goal is three sets of twenty.

Crunches

For a more old-school exercise for stomach fat, do some crunches. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Position your feet as wide as your hips, hands behind your head, and tuck hands behind your ears. Use your stomach (not your hands) to lift your head, neck and shoulder blades off the floor. Don’t pull your head forward with your hands. Keep your chin off your chest. Hold that position until it starts to burn, and then count to five before lowering. Do three sets of however many you can do, and keep going until failure (i.e., until you can’t do anymore).

An oblique crunch adds rotating slightly with your shoulders, moving one of your elbows toward the opposite knee, while doing the crunches. To increase the intensity of your stomach fat exercise, add a stability ball to the mix.

Stomach fat exercise should be part of your daily routine. It not only makes you look better, but it also remedies back pain caused by extra weight imposing on weak muscles in your stomach and back. You don’t get as tired because you aren’t hauling around extra stomach fat. Working your abs helps your posture and eliminates stress. All in all, you couldn’t do yourself a bigger favor.
by: James Taylor
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Mendengkur Bisa Diatasi dengan Cara Ini!

MENDENGKUR, suara nyaring yang keluar dari saluran pernapasan bagian atas sebagai hasil getaran atap lunak rongga mulut dan uvula, sepotong daging kecil yang menggantung di belakangnya. Sederhana, namun dapat menjadi perhatian khusus pasangan ataupun tetangga penderita kebiasaan buruk ini.

Dr Ralph E Stanley FRCS, konsultan senior Stanley Ear Nose Throat & Sinus Centre, Gleneagles Medical Centre, Singapura, mengatakan diagnosis dapat ditegakkan melalui pemeriksaan telinga, hidung, dan tenggorokkan secara saksama menggunakan laringoskop hidung untuk menelaah apakah terdapat sumbatan di hidung dan sinus-sinusnya hingga saluran tenggorok. Kasus yang paling banyak ditemukan adalah infeksi sinus hidung, pembesaran konka hidung, polip hidung, dan pembesaran tonsil. Bagian dasar lidah pun tak luput dari pengamatan.

“Pemeriksaan lain yang dilakukan adalah polisomnografi semalam (pembelajaran tidur), yang dapat dilakukan di mana saja. Pemeriksaan noninvasif ini menggunakan sensor atau elektroda yang diletakkan pada kulit dan dihubungkan ke monitor yang memuat skala parameter semua gelombang otak (EEG), ketegangan otot, gerakan dada dan mata, aliran napas hidung/mulut, kadar oksigen dalam darah, dan rekaman dengkuran. Keseluruhan paramater ini ditangkap oleh komputer, disimpan, dan diinterpretasikan oleh dokter pemeriksa. Pemeriksaan ini merupakan ‘standar emas’ penegakkan diagnosis dan derajat keparahannya,” jelasnya.

Dr Ralph mengatakan bahwa informasi yang didapatkan dari dua jenis pemeriksaan di atas, membantu dokter untuk menentukan apakah penderita memiliki permasalahan dalam mendengkur atau sindroma apnea tidur atau keduanya dan derajat keparahan sindroma tersebut. Sindroma tahanan saluran napas bagian atas terkadang sulit ditegakkan dan ditengarai sebagai akibat dari peningkatan gairah dengan riwayat mengantuk berlebihan di kala siang.

“Penyeimbangan berat badan dan olahraga teratur adalah dua langkah dasar yang dapat dilakukan penderita untuk mengatasi dengkuran kala tidur dan sindrom apnea obstruktif. Hindari konsumsi obat-obat penenang atau sejenisnya, serta kurangi asupan alkohol. Apabila dengkuran memburuk dalam posisi terlentang, hendaknya penderita mengubah posisi tidur menjadi miring, agar lidah tidak jatuh ke belakang, dan menghalangi jalan napas. Tangani infeksi dan alergi pada hidung dan sinus secara medis dengan baik untuk membuka sumbatan saluran nafas, khususnya pada hidung,” sarannya.

“Penderita sindrom apnea tidur dengan dengkuran dan/atau sindroma tahanan saluran napas bagian atas, saya anjurkan menjalani terapi penekanan positif saluran napas pada hidung secara berlanjut atau CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure). Dalam hal ini, penderita harus tidur dengan masker wajah/hidung yang dihubungkan dengan tabung fleksibel untuk sebuah mesin kecil yang berfungsi untuk memampatkan udara ambien, kemudian udara ini ditransfer ke dalam hidung pasien untuk membuka saluran nafas, sehingga dengkuran berkurang dan meningkatkan kualitas tidur penderita. Kendati menunjukkan angka keberhasilan terapi yang cukup memuaskan, sepertiga penderita menolak karena kurang nyaman tidur dengan mesin dan masker. Sedangkan pada penderita sindroma apnea tidur ringan dengan dengkuran, dapat melebarkan jalur tenggorok dengan peralatan gigi khusus yang mendorong maju rahang, sehingga meningkatkan aliran udara tenggorok dan mengurangi dengkuran. Peralatan ini harus digunakan dengan hati-hati karena menekan sendi rahang,” paparnya.

Beberapa terapi pembedahan spesifik bisa pula dilakukan sesuai dengan kondisi penderita.

“Karena itu, waspadai gaya tidur Anda. Segera konsultasikan diri Anda ke dokter, apabila merasa menderita sindroma apnea tidur. Mengorok sama sekali bukan suatu aktifitas yang patut ditertawakan, karena erat kaitannya dengan penekanan kuat sistem kerja jantung serta syaraf tubuh. Mengorok bukan suatu bagian dari humor kehidupan, dan dapat ditangani dengan atau tanpa operasi,” tutupnya.
by:Tuty Ocktaviany
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How To Find the Best Stop Snoring Solution for You

When you start researching stop snoring solutions you begin to realize just how many different approaches are available for you to try. They range from stop snoring sprays to mouthpieces which are designed to keep your airways open to pretty drastic surgeries. You can be forgiven for feeling that you need to be a qualified MD to work out which snoring solution would be most appropriate for you.

But it is extremely important to take a very logical approach to work out which is the best solution to your individual and unique snoring issues. We are all different. We are all individual. There is not one single stop snoring product which will work for everyone. All of these solutions do work for some people. And so you do have to do your research thoroughly and then make an informed choice to find your snoring cure.

Fortunately, thanks to the internet, the process of research is far easier than it was in the past. One has to be aware however that it is necessary to also check out the credentials of the person who is promoting a particular snoring cure online. It's worth checking also to see what kind of success rate a snoring aid has or if there are real testimonials from satisfied customers.

At the end of the day it is your health which is affected by snoring and perhaps your relationship as well. And so taking the time to diligently research the possible stop snoring solutions is time well spent. I know what I would do. I would start by making a list of every single stop snoring aid that I could find mentioned anywhere at all. Then I would take each one and list the pros and cons in terms of simplicity to use, comfort, invasiveness, apparent success rate, strength of testimonials, suitability and, last of all, cost.

Where your health and relationship are affected, cost should be the last factor to be considered. Some stop snoring cures are undeniably simple, like losing weight or training yourself to sleep on your side. All they require is a little effort on your part. And so you have to weigh up in your own mind whether stopping snoring is more important than eating some of those favorite foods, or worth the effort involved in training your brain to make sleeping on your side a habit.

Some snorers decide that surgery is the easiest answer; but although it may require less effort on your part, you subject yourself to the inherent risks implicit in any form of invasive surgery. One has to think very, very carefully before deciding that this is the best stop snoring solution for you. You have to weigh up the health and lifestyle risks which are caused by snoring against the risks or effort required in the method of stopping.

Ultimately, everyone who snores wishes that they didn't; nobody likes knowing that they keep their partner awake or drive them into the spare bedroom. Nobody likes waking up with a sore throat, sore ribs (from being elbowed) and a frosty atmosphere.

In fact most snorers are frustrated by being subjected to something which they seemingly cannot control. But you can take control of your snoring issues. There are many possible cures and solutions to snoring; it's just a matter of taking the time to research and find the right one for you.

Roseanna Leaton, specialist in self hypnosis mp3 downloads which provide a non-invasive stop snoring solution.

P.S. Discover how easily you can train your brain with hypnosis; grab a free hypnosis download from my website now.

by: Roseanna Leaton
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Cegah Serangan Jantung di Usia Muda

SERANGAN jantung kini tak hanya menyerang para usia lanjut. Penyakit ini kini juga mulai menyambangi mereka yang berusia muda. Pola hidup tak sehat menjadi salah satu faktor penyebabnya.

Meninggalnya mantan aktor sekaligus anggota DPR Adjie Massaid yang mendadak begitu mencengangkan publik. Kematiannya diduga akibat serangan jantung usai bermain futsal. Pertanyaan besar yang membuncah di masyarakat berkaitan dengan usianya yang relatif masih muda yaitu 43 tahun. Karena seperti anggapan banyak pihak, penyakit jantung lebih banyak diderita orang dengan usia lanjut.

Namun faktanya, kasus kematian mendadak akibat serangan jantung pada usia muda semakin sering terjadi. Kini, tren itu sepertinya akan terus meningkat. Hal ini tak lain karena perubahan gaya hidup yang umumnya dilakoni warga perkotaan. Misalnya gemar mengonsumsi makanan cepat saji atau fast food yang mengandung kolesterol tinggi, jarang berolahraga karena kesibukan, merokok, minum minuman beralkohol serta tingkat stres yang tinggi.

”Karena gaya hidup yang tidak sehat seperti kolesterol yang tinggi, mengakibatkan terjadinya penyumbatan pada pembuluh darah jantung. Sehingga, jantungnya menjadi kaku dan mudah robek. Ketika mendapatkan serangan akhirnya menjadi fatal. Hal itu dapat berlangsung mulai seseorang berusia 30 tahun,” kata Direktur Jakarta Vascular Centre, Dr med Frans Santosa MD.

Dikatakan oleh dokter spesialis jantung dari Rumah Sakit Jantung Nasional Harapan Kita, Jakarta Dr Isman Firdaus SpJP FIHA bahwa, walaupun penyakit jantung frekuensinya lebih tinggi pada orang dengan tingkat usia lanjut, namun seiring berubahnya gaya hidup, penyakit jantung juga dapat terjadi pada semua tingkatan usia.

”Siapa saja bisa terkena serangan jantung, terutama orang yang dengan gaya hidup tidak sehat,” tandasnya.

Jurnal kesehatan Hart and Miller, menyebutkan setidaknya 3 persen kasus stroke akibat penyumbatan pembuluh darah otak diderita pasien di bawah usia 30. Tidak hanya di negara berkembang seperti Indonesia, tetapi juga di negara maju, penderita penyakit jantung semakin banyak diderita di usia muda.

Penyakit jantung koroner (PJK) sebelumnya memang dimonopoli oleh orangtua, terutama mereka yang telah berusia 60 tahun keatas, namun sekarang ini, justru ada kecenderungan juga diderita oleh orang yang berusia dibawah 40 tahun. Sebuah penelitian yang dipimpin oleh Russell Luepker dari University of Minnessota Amerika Serikat membuktikan hal tersebut. Hampir setengah dari partisipan yang meninggal adalah pria di bawah umur 48 tahun.

Serangan jantung terjadi ketika aliran darah ke suatu bagian otot jantung terhalang. Jika aliran darah tidak bisa diperbaiki dengan cepat, bagian dari jantung tersebut akan rusak karena kekurangan oksigen dan bisa mengakibatkan kematian. ”Gejala penyakit jantung koroner biasanya ditandai dengan nyeri dada hebat dan mendadak, yang tidak bisa hilang dengan obat nyeri biasa,” ucap dokter Jantung termuda di Indonesia ini.

Banyak pemicu terjadinya serangan jantung. Di antaranya ialah faktor gaya hidup tidak seimbang seperti olahraga tidak teratur, merokok, stres, kurang istirahat karena rutinitas padat, serta pola makan tidak sehat seperti banyak mengonsumsi gula tidak sesuai dengan porsi yang diharuskan. Bisa juga karena karbohidrat, lemak dan protein inilah yang jika asupannya tidak dikontrol, bisa menyebabkan diabetes yang berujung pada penyakit jantung. Faktor risiko penyakit jantung lainnya adalah unsur bawaan seperti riwayat keluarga, umur, jenis kelamin, dan ras.

”Jantung juga bisa dipicu oleh penyakit lain seperti kolesterol tinggi, hipertensi, kegemukan, dan diabetes mellitus,” papar ahli jantung dari Rumah Sakit Omni Internasional Alam Sutera Tangerang, Dr Dasaad Mulijono SpJP MBBS.

Serangan jantung dijelaskan Dasaad memiliki beberapa gejala selain nyeri dada yang sering disertai dengan penjalaran ke tangan kiri, pasien sering berkeringat, sesak atau perasaan seperti mau pingsan. ”Namun 50 persen dari pasien mempunyai keluhan yang tidak khas,” tandas dokter yang mengambil program kedokteran umum di Universitas Indonesia dengan predikat ”Suma Cum Laude” ini.

Dasaad mengatakan bahwa jantung koroner adalah penyebab kematian utama di kota-kota besar dengan jumlah pasien semakin meningkat dari tahun ke tahun. Akan tetapi, walaupun penyakit tersebut mematikan, namun bukan berarti penyakit ini tidak bisa dicegah, masih ada cara untuk mencegah terjadinya serangan jantung dengan menganut pola hidup sehat serta berobat secara teratur.

”Itu sebabnya, jika pasien kurang yakin akan gejala yang dialaminya, maka untuk memastikannya pasien perlu memeriksakan diri ke rumah sakit untuk diperiksa oleh ahli jantung. Karena jika pasien hanya mengira-ngira dan bisa menyebabkan salah duga, akan berakibat fatal,” jelasnya.

Menghindari faktor risiko adalah hal terpenting agar penyakit ini tidak semakin bertambah parah.
Serangan jantung dapat membunuh hanya dalam waktu kurang dari satu jam, itu sebabnya, tindakan cepat terhadap tanda-tanda serangan jantung akan menyelamatkan nyawa si penderita dan mengurangi bahaya terhadap jantung. Perawatan sangat efektif ketika dimulai dalam satu jam pada awal gejala terdeteksi.

”Serangan jantung bisa menyelamatkan nyawa dan mencegah cacat apabila segera dilakukan perawatan jika dimulai jarak 1 jam setelah awal gejala,” ungkapnya.
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Managing Your Cholesterol - The Best Way To Prevent Hearth Attacks

Cholesterol is one of the most familiar medical words today. Everyone knows “something” about it , but mostly cholesterol is associated in our mind with something “bad” and “unwanted” that happens to old and overweight people.The facts show that about 20 percent of the U.S. population has high blood cholesterol levels.

Actually holesterol is a waxy, fatlike substance (lipid) that your body needs for many important functions, such as producing new cells , some hormones, vitamin D, and the bile acids that help to digest fat.. It is present in cell walls or membranes everywhere in the body, including the brain, nerves, muscle, skin, liver, intestines, and heart.

In fact our bodies need cholesterol to function normally, but too much cholesterol can be bad for our health. Why ? Cholesterol and other fats can't dissolve in the blood. They have to be transported to and from the cells by special carriers. Cholesterol travels through your blood attached to a protein. This cholesterol–protein package is called a lipoprotein. Lipoproteins are high density or low density depending on how much protein there is in relation to fat.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the major cholesterol carrier in the blood. If too much LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the walls of the arteries feeding the heart and brain. Together with other substances it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can clog those arteries. When the coronary arteries become narrowed or clogged by cholesterol and fat deposits (a process called atherosclerosis) and cannot supply enough blood to the heart, the result is coronary heart disease. If the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off by total blockage of a coronary artery, the result is a heart attack. This is usually due to a sudden closure from a blood clot forming on top of a previous narrowing. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is called "bad" cholesterol because it can cause cholesterol buildup and blockage of your arteries. LDL is mostly fat with only a small amount of protein.

About one-third to one-fourth of blood cholesterol is carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Medical experts think HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it's passed from the body. Some experts believe HDL removes excess cholesterol from plaques and thus slows their growth. HDL is called "good" cholesterol because it helps prevent cholesterol from building up in your arteries. It is mostly protein with only a small amount of fat.

Since there is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol it is not only necessary to know your cholesterol level ,it is also important to know your levels of LDL and HDL.

The fact is that there are no symptoms of high cholesterol. Your first symptom of high cholesterol could be a heart attack or a stroke. The level of cholesterol can be measured only with a blood test.The results come as three main numbers:

· Total Cholesterol
· LDL
· HDL

The level of LDL should be less than 160.

Total cholesterol should be less than 200.

The level of HDL should be more than 35.

Most Important: Your LDL level is a good indicator of your risk for heart disease. Lowering LDL is the main aim of treatment if you have high cholesterol. In general, the higher your LDL level, the greater your chance of developing heart disease.

Remember : Regular cholesterol tests are recommended to find out if your cholesterol level is within normal range.

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT YOUR LDL CHOLESTEROL LEVELS?

The main cause of high blood cholesterol is eating too much fat, especially saturated fat. Saturated fats are found in animal products, such as meats, milk and other dairy products that are not fat free, butter, and eggs. Some of these foods are also high in cholesterol. Fried fast foods and snack foods often have a lot of fat.

Being overweight and not exercising can make your bad cholesterol go up and your good cholesterol go down. Regular physical activity can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels. It also helps you lose weight. You should try to be physically active for 30 minutes on most, if not all, days.

Cigarette smoking damages the walls of your blood vessels, making them likely to have cholesterol rich plaques rupture and have heart attacks. Smoking may also lower your level of HDL cholesterol by as much as 15 percent.

Also, after women go through menopause, their bad cholesterol levels tend to go up. There is also a rare type of inherited high cholesterol that often leads to early heart disease.Some people inherit a condition called familial hypercholesterolemia, which means that very high cholesterol levels run in the family.Other people, especially people for whom diabetes runs in the family, inherit high triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are another type of blood fat that can also push up cholesterol levels. People with high blood triglycerides usually have lower HDL cholesterol and a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Progesterone, anabolic steroids and male sex hormones (testosterone) also lower HDL cholesterol levels.

So we can make a conclusion that the main therapy is to change your lifestyle. This includes controlling your weight, eating foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol, exercising regularly, not smoking and, in some cases, drinking less alcohol.

But , depending on your risk factors, if healthy eating and exercise don't work after about 6 months to 1 year, your doctor may suggest medicine to lower your cholesterol level.

Now there are very effective medications called “statins”,such as Lipitor.

The drug works by helping to clear harmful low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol out of the blood and by limiting the body's ability to form new LDL cholesterol. Each tablet Lipitor includes 20mg Atorvastatin. It is in a class of medications called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. It works by slowing the production of cholesterol in the body. Lipitor has shown the ability to halt, not just slow, the potentially fatal buildup of plaque in clogged arteries. While a handful of drugs now available slow the buildup of new plaque, or atherosclerosis, in coronary arteries, no drug on the market has been proven to both stop new build-up and clear existing plaque.
by: Richard Clement
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