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Doctors claim 'silent killer' condition could be spotted by 'strange' symptom lingering on lips

Home> News> Health

Published 16:41 21 Dec 2024 GMT

Doctors claim 'silent killer' condition could be spotted by 'strange' symptom lingering on lips

The sign is often overlooked but can become deadly if left untreated

Liv Bridge

Liv Bridge

Doctors claim a 'silent killer' condition could be spotted by checking our lips for a 'strange' sign.

Even without painful symptoms, our bodies have ways of showing us there could be something up with our health in small ways.

Unfortunately, as these signs can be so small, they're easily missed or dismissed as insignificant - and many of us don't know where or what we're looking out for in the first place.

High cholesterol is one thing we should be checking in on as it's often considered a 'silent killer'.

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Our blood cells can become blocked by cholesterol, leading to stroke or other heart diseases (Getty Stock Image)
Our blood cells can become blocked by cholesterol, leading to stroke or other heart diseases (Getty Stock Image)

This is due to the fact it typically fails to present any symptoms but can quickly snowball into serious health problems if left untreated.

According to the Mayo Clinic, high cholesterol is a fatty substance that blocks your arteries, prompted by diet and/or other unhealthy factors, such as being overweight, smoking and drinking alcohol.

A popular TV doctor from the UK, Dr Hilary Jones, recently shared his top heart health tips, which included a stark warning about 'clogging up' your heart with too much cholesterol.

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High cholesterol can turn deadly - but it's often symptomless (Getty Stock Image)
High cholesterol can turn deadly - but it's often symptomless (Getty Stock Image)

This is because high cholesterol can become fatal, increasing the risk of heart disease, heart attack or stroke.

However, it can also be prevented through measures such as quitting smoking, drinking less alcohol and having a low-salt diet.

Incorporating other healthy habits that manage stress or upping an exercise regime may also help push back against high cholesterol.

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Although largely symptomless, doctors have said there can be one way to check for possible signs of high cholesterol which involves a thorough look over the lips.

You may have small, strange bumps around your mouth, which are known as Fordyce spots.

How Fordyce spots can look around the lips (Getty Stock Image)
How Fordyce spots can look around the lips (Getty Stock Image)

What are Fordyce spots?

They appear in areas that normally have no hair follicles, such as around the lips or cheeks.

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These painless lumps are a telltale sign of high cholesterol, but many people shrug off the warning sign.

Some scientific trials suggest that people with more Fordyce spots may be more likely to have high cholesterol due to the volume of lipids in the blood, though more research is needed to confirm the link.

Still, the concerning part of Fordyce spots is that they can fade away without ever needing treatment.

The spots are also more noticeable in men and people with an oily skin type.

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Although tempting, picking and squeezing at the lumps will only make it worse, potentially even leading to an infection.

The only real way to tell if your cholesterol levels are abnormally high is through a blood test with a medical professional.

Your doctor will help you build a plan to lower your cholesterol which might involve taking medication, like statins, which reduce the amount of cholesterol your body produces.

Other warning signs you might be struggling from high cholesterol include feeling 'heavy' legs, thighs or calves when walking.

Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images

Topics: Health, News

Liv Bridge
Liv Bridge

Liv Bridge is a digital journalist who joined the UNILAD team in 2024 after almost three years reporting local news for a Newsquest UK paper, The Oldham Times. She's passionate about health, housing, food and music, especially Oasis...

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@livbridge

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