This is how your body tells you the signs of fatty deposits in your arteries!
There are some diseases which were never a part of our lives a few decades ago, but with advancement in technology and office and other tasks predominantly being done by computers, the sitting hours for humans have increased and so have the diseases related to lifestyle choices. Our grandparents probably did not know anything about cholesterol but here we are, where people as young as in their 20’s have this problem. The problem isn’t high cholesterol – it is the kind of cholesterol that you have high on numbers – HDL (called good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol) define our health. So if you have high LDL, fatty deposits start forming in your arteries but in many cases there aren’t many clear symptoms. Still if you observe closely, our body does try to give signals like some health problems which become a symptom in themselves :

1 Peripheral artery disease is one of the most common diseases that happen because of cholesterol build up. Due to this, the blood vessels in the lower extremities get blocked or narrow.

2 As the vessels become narrow or blocked, a person may experience severe leg pain which does not improve while resting.

3 As a result of the peripheral artery disease (PAD), the legs and feet of the affected person always remain cold , even in summers. This happens because of poor circulation in the blood vessels.

4 A change in the skin colour of the legs also indicates some problem with the blood circulation and hence build up of fatty deposits in the arteries.

5 frequent leg cramps during the night is also an important tell tale sign of circulation problems in your legs.

6 If you have recently developed a leg or foot ulcer that does not seem to heal then get your cholesterol levels checked because this may also be a sign of PAD.

DO remember, high cholesterol just like high blood pressure is a silent killer and the best approach is to keep it in check. So look out for any of these symptoms and take care!