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- $Unique_ID{BRK00687}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{What Are Those Little Yellowish Bumps People Get Around The Eyes?}
- $Subject{eyes lumps eye lump eyelid fat Skin Subcutaneous Tissue tissues
- xanthelasma cholesterol familial hypercholesterolemia genetic hereditary
- inherited serum atherosclerosis}
- $Volume{L-21}
- $Log{
- How Cholesterol Levels Affect the Arteries*0002701.scf}
-
- Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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- What Are Those Little Yellowish Bumps People Get Around The Eyes?
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- QUESTION: What are those little yellowish bumps people get around the eyes?
- They don't seem to bother anything, but what can be done to prevent them from
- growing?
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- ANSWER: Physicians call these yellow-colored lesions xanthelasma. They are
- usually raised slightly above the skin surface and can occur on either the
- upper or lower eyelid usually near the inner corner. They occur in
- individuals who suffer from elevated blood cholesterol, particularly in an
- inherited disorder called "familial hypercholesterolemia," although they can
- occur in any individual with elevated cholesterols. In the familial disease,
- the serum cholesterol may be elevated to two or three times normal and
- requires aggressive treatment. Their growth can be halted by lowering serum
- cholesterol, which means strict avoidance of foods containing cholesterol and
- saturated fatty acids. These include meat, especially organ meats and obvious
- fats, milk, cream, butter, eggs, lard, and other saturated cooking fats.
- As you correctly stated, they don't bother anything, but remember that
- other similar plaques are developing on the lining of the patient's arteries,
- causing a condition called atherosclerosis. With attention to diet and the
- lowering of serum cholesterol levels, not only will the plaques on the eye
- stop growing, but the more important ones located within the arteries may also
- become smaller.
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- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
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