With regular life becoming more stressful than ever, we often end up ignoring our health. When we are not aware of what may be going wrong in our bodies, we end up worsening our health by not taking adequate care of ourselves. By getting routine tests, we can keep a check on our general health. Out of all the tests, the lipid profile test is one of the most important ones.
Fats that cannot be dissolved into the blood are known as lipids, and the test to check its level in the body is known as the lipid profile test. It is also referred to as a cholesterol test. The need to keep cholesterol levels in check is always essential – hence, getting the test done at regular intervals is always a good decision.
Cholesterol: A Brief
When we come across the term “cholesterol”, we often end up linking it to a bad component in our body that needs to be lowered as much as possible. However, cholesterol is more than that. It is transported to blood, which is connected to lipoproteins. Here are a few reasons why cholesterol is important for our body:
- It helps with the formation of cell walls in the body.
- It facilitates the body to manufacture vitamin D.
- It facilitates the production of bile juice in the small intestine of our body.
Just like excess of anything is harmful, so is the case for cholesterol levels in our bodies. Abnormally high levels of cholesterol can lead to various kinds of medical conditions.
Types of Cholesterol
There are two forms in which cholesterol exists in our body. They are:
- High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL): The HDL cholesterol in our body is often termed good cholesterol. It serves the essential purpose of guarding and getting rid of all harmful kinds of cholesterol.
- Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL): The LDL cholesterol is often termed as the bad cholesterol of our body. The presence of this type of cholesterol leads to many serious medical conditions. Blocking of arteries in our bodies is just one of the many deadly conditions it paves way for.
What is a Lipid Profile Test?
Lipid profile test helps medical professionals judge the status of health of the patients based on their cholesterol levels. It involves extracting a very small amount of blood from the arm of the patient which is then sent to the lab for testing.
Once the test reports are out, the levels of LDL, HDL, and triglycerides are examined throughout. People who have had medical conditions related to the heart in the past are strongly recommended getting this test regularly. Medical experts advise the healthy public to get their lipid profile tested at least once a year to make sure healthy levels of cholesterol.
Importance of Testing Lipid Profile
Lipid profile test works upon letting people know about their cholesterol levels. Its importance lies within its function. It is well known that in this busy life, we often neglect the demands of our body to stay healthy. There are low chances that a person would by themselves start taking medicines and switch to a healthier diet – unless they have a report stating that they need to.
The lipid profile test helps people know at the right time when they need to switch to a healthier lifestyle. Improving the cholesterol levels of the body at an earlier stage helps prevent any kind of medical complications in the future. Hence, getting a lipid profile test at regular intervals is essential to know the status of the body and make necessary lifestyle changes.
Signs You Need to Test Your Lipid Profile Immediately
Although everyone should get the lipid profile test occasionally, people suffering from serious symptoms mustn’t neglect it at any cost. Here are a few signs and symptoms that one needs to get their lipid profile tested immediately:
- The person has been having difficulty in breathing.
- The person has been sweating abnormally even when not involved in a physical task.
- The person is experiencing nausea and heartache.
- The blood pressure of the person is quite high.
- The person is experiencing pain in the upper back and arms.
- The person often feels that their chest is squeezing itself.
Conclusion
Getting a routine checkup in any pathology lab is considered one of the most essential additions to one’s routine. Even though it simply takes a day to be done with, the benefits that these reports provide the public with are quite unmatched.
In daily life full of hustles, people often get sick without getting to know about it. The internal sufferings of the body come out only once the situation reaches its last stages. To avoid that issue, one should always get tests such as the lipid profile test done at regular intervals.
