High Cholesterol

With over 100 million Americans possessing it, high cholesterol is one of the most common medical conditions found within the country. Even worse, of those 120 million people more than 30 million of them have very high cholesterol, which puts them at a much higher chance of suffering from a heart attack or stroke. High cholesterol is not only important to be aware of because of its frequency, but also because the risk of it grows greater and greater with age. However, high cholesterol is something that can be actively combatted through lifestyle changes and decisions which makes it even more important to fully understand what it means to have high cholesterol.

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fat that is naturally produced by your body in the liver but also comes from the food and drinks we eat. It comes in two forms, which are generally referred to as good and bad cholesterol. Bad cholesterol’s real name is low-density lipoprotein, and it is considered bad because they go to the arteries instead of the liver. When a person has high cholesterol, it means they possess too much of the bad which results in their arteries being clogged by it. This puts them at a greatly increased chance of suffering from potentially fatal heart attacks and strokes, as well as chest pain that can become severe. Bad cholesterol can be a genetic predisposition, but it is largely caused by lifestyle and diet. Less exercise, obesity, smoking, high stress, and a diet high in fats and sugars all dramatically increase a person’s chances of having high cholesterol. The other form of cholesterol is called high-density lipoprotein, and it is considered good because it carries cholesterol to the liver, where it can be effectively processed by the body. Good cholesterol can even work to take excess bad cholesterol away from the arteries and to the liver.

Lowering Cholesterol

Cholesterol tests are common tests performed by doctors. They are done through bloodwork and are usually scheduled by doctors depending on a person’s reported lifestyle, diet, family history, and other risk factors. If you or your doctor are worried about you possessing a higher chance of developing high cholesterol, it is a good idea to have more frequent tests done. If you are found to have high cholesterol, the next step is making the necessary lifestyle changes to help lower it to healthy levels. This can be done by both lowering bad cholesterol and raising good cholesterol to achieve the right balance. Fortunately, the activities that lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol go hand in hand, which makes the process even easier. Maintaining an active lifestyle, lowering your weight, and incorporating a healthy diet are all perfect ways to begin achieving that balance. For food, avoiding salty and fatty foods can go a long way in that effort. Working on lowering stress levels can also make a big difference in a person’s cholesterol levels, and quitting smoking is also important. Luckily, with the right lifestyle changes, a person can begin to see a noticeable drop in cholesterol quickly however, it is still important to constantly observe it with a doctor to make sure it is trending right so that you can continue living a full life without concern.

With Fall allergy season already in full bloom and COVID-19 causing increased anxiety and fear among patients, their shared symptoms may cause many to be confused and stress over whether their yearly cough is COVID-19. At Concierge Internal Medicine, we want to prevent that so here’s what you need to know:

Understanding Allergies:

Allergies are caused when people’s immune systems overreact to irritants in the environment. For fall, common irritants include ragweed, pollen, dust, and mold. Allergies can be either seasonal or year-round and typically are developed before ten. However, allergy intensity can grow stronger with age before fading in adulthood; and are capable of developing at any time in life, so new allergies for most people are possible. 

Common symptoms of allergies include headaches, itchy/watery eyes, itchy/runny nose, mild fatigue, congestion, and sore throat resulting from congestion. 

Preventing allergy symptoms:

While the severity of a person’s symptoms plays a role in how successful they can be in trying to avoid allergy symptoms for those with less severe symptoms, there are some simple things to make part of your routine that can go a long way. 

One of the easiest ways is to go out later in the day. Allergens, such as pollen, are the heaviest between sunrise and ten in the morning, so kicking back activities that take you outside during those times can help prevent exposure.

Another easy way is to change and wash your clothes when you get back from outside. Cleaning the house regularly to avoid dust build-up can also help those experiencing allergy symptoms around the house. However, if you experience persistent or strong symptoms that could be from allergies, you may need to visit a medical professional for further testing. 

Understanding COVID-19:

The coronavirus (COVID-19) is the name of the viral illness currently labeled a pandemic by countries and health organizations that has infected over seven million Americans. Symptoms typically emerge two to fourteen days after exposure and last around fourteen days for most people, although people who contract COVID-19 can remain asymptomatic and no show any symptoms.

Common symptoms of COVID-19 include body aches, dry cough, fever, intense fatigue, loss of smell and taste, and shortness of breath.

Lowering the Odds of Getting COVID-19

According to the Center for Disease Control’s guidelines, the best way to avoid contracting COVID is to practice social distancing guidelines. These include wearing a mask when in public or around other people, maintaining six feet of distance between yourself and people you are interacting with, frequently washing your hands when around others or in common spaces, and adhering to relevant laws involving public gatherings and public spaces for your area. Practicing effective social distancing can greatly lower the chance of contracting COVID. 

Testing

If you or someone in your household have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, you should look into getting tested at a testing center near you. If you have a history of allergies and develop your allergy symptoms, then you probably don’t need to sound the alarm right now. One important thing to monitor with that is the duration of your symptoms, as allergies tend to last longer than COVID-19.

However, if you believe you or a household member may be experiencing allergies, and our tips to avoid allergens haven’t worked, we offer allergy tests here in our office. With our test, we can determine if these are allergy symptoms or not, and if so, what’s causing them and what type of treatment plan will work best for you.