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Shoulder Pain and Cholesterol

Jun 28, 2011 | By Hannah Rice Myers

Unhealthy levels of cholesterol are responsible for numerous health conditions, including gallstones and heart attack. These conditions produce warning signs, one of which is shoulder pain. You may ignore this pain initially, but when additional warning signs appear, you must seek medical attention. Understanding the impact of high cholesterol on your body, and recognizing the additional warning signs of these conditions, may prevent serious complications from occurring.

Cholesterol Testing and Levels

The American Heart Association recommends having a cholesterol test once every five years from the age of 20. This determines your risk of developing heart disease, and enables your doctor to begin early treatment, which may prevent health complications. Your LDL, bad cholesterol, levels should be 129 mg/dL or lower, while your HDL, good cholesterol, should be 60 mg/dL or greater. Your total cholesterol is a measurement of all cholesterol in your blood, and should be less than 200 mg/dL, according to the AHA.

Gallstones

Gallstones are hard substances that form in your gallbladder. They are a combination of bile, bile salts and cholesterol. There are pigment stones and cholesterol stones; cholesterol stones account for 80 percent of all gallstones, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. People taking cholesterol-lowering medications have a greater risk of developing gallstones, as these medications increase the amount of cholesterol emitted into the bile your gallbladder stores.

Coronary Heart Disease

High cholesterol contributes to atherosclerosis, a condition resulting from plaque buildup in your arteries. This causes a reduction in blood flow to various areas of your body. If the plaque forms in your coronary arteries, you are at risk for heart attack.

Symptoms of Gallstones

Many people with gallstones do not know they have them. However, if the stones block the ducts of your gallbladder, bile builds in your gallbladder and causes inflammation. A gallbladder attack produces symptoms such as persistent pain in the right, upper area of your abdomen, pain between your shoulder blades and pain under your right shoulder. If the pain lasts longer than five hours, is accompanied by fever, nausea, vomiting or yellowing of your skin or eyes, seek emergency medical attention.

Heart Attack Symptoms

There is a wide variance in heart attack symptoms for everyone. Your pain may be mild while another's is severe. You may experience shortness of breath while another suffers from nausea and vomiting. Upper body pain is common, and can spread from your chest to your jaw, your shoulders, arms and back. If any of these symptoms appear, MayoClinic.com recommends calling 911 or going to the emergency room.

References

Article reviewed by Tad Cronn Last updated on: Jun 28, 2011

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