Xanthomas are hard formations, like flat or nodular protuberances, yellowish or orange in color, variable in size and slow to evolve, made up of cells loaded with fat. They are located preferably in the skin, although they sometimes appear in mucous membranes, tendons, bones and other organs of the body.
In general, they are due to an alteration in the metabolism of fats or lipids, with elevation of their levels, especially cholesterol in the blood.
Excess lipids can be due to different causes: organic diseases, such as diabeteskidney ailments, pancreatitis, alcoholism, liver failure, etc.; genetic alterations; or simply as a result of an inadequate diet that is also rich in fat.
However, the truth is that xanthomas also sometimes appear in completely healthy people and in the course of other diseases in which the concentrations of lipids in the blood are practically normal.
Xanthomas occur in various forms and in different locations. Among the most frequent types are xanthelasmas, which are yellow plaques located on the eyelids; tuberous xanthomas, in the form of hard, prominent nodules that usually settle on the elbows and knees; flat xanthomas of the trunk and limbs; eruptive xanthoma, with small lesions spread over almost the entire surface of the skin; and tendon xanthomas, which are hard nodules located in the tendon sheaths.
folk remedies
Remedy for xanthomas or xanthelasmas #1: Apply the juice of garlic directly on the xanthelasma or cut the garlic in two and press each section on the affected area. There may be a burning sensation, but very soon the nodules will shrink. Repeat this remedy for a few days to get effective results.
Remedy for xanthomas or xanthelasmas #2: Apply, several times a day, a cotton ball containing castor oil.
The following remedies are indicated in case of xanthomas caused by high cholesterol.
Remedy for xanthomas or xanthelasmas #3: Mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon of honey in a glass of water and drink twice a day.
Remedy for xanthomas or xanthelasmas #4: Soak 2 teaspoons of fenugreek or fenugreek seeds in water and steep overnight. Take this mixture first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
Remedy for xanthomas or xanthelasmas #5: Mix 2 tablespoons of onion juice in a glass of water and take daily.
Remedy for xanthomas or xanthelasmas #6: Place in a blender 2 tablespoons of rolled oats, 1 of almonds and 1 cup of soy milk. Blend for a few moments. Take daily. This remedy helps lower bad cholesterol or LDL and raise good cholesterol or HDL.
Remedy for xanthomas or xanthelasmas #7: Drink pure and natural orange juice daily to lower cholesterol, thus fighting xanthomas.
Remedy for xanthomas or xanthelasmas #8: Boil 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds in a cup of water for 5 minutes. Let cool and strain. Take 2 times a day.
Remedy for xanthomas or xanthelasmas #9: Eat 2-3 carrots every day because carrots have the potential to lower blood cholesterol level.
Questions and answers
Is xanthelasmas a serious condition?
Not at the beginning. Xanthelasma is a type of xanthoma that only affects the eyelids. Quite often women over 50 suffer from it. These xanthelasmas settle in the inner corner of the eye, on the upper eyelids, and appear in the form of soft, flat, slightly raised spots or plaques, yellowish in color or, if the patient is very dark, brownish.
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They are almost always bilateral, and their size varies from several millimeters in diameter to practically occupying the entire eyelid. Although they may appear in people completely healthy, subjected, in general, to a diet rich in fats, it is always advisable to carry out a study of the metabolism of the patient, since the alteration could be due to the existence of an excess of cholesterol in the blood, as a secondary consequence of a disturbance of lipid metabolism, or also to other ailments, such as liver failure or diabetes.
Xanthomas are a characteristic, though not specific, manifestation of hyperlipoproteinemia…
A disease typified by the existence in the blood of very high levels of cholesterol and other lipids. Excess cholesterol contributes to the narrowing of the arteries and the hardening of their walls, that is, to arteriosclerosis, which makes it difficult for blood flow in the different structures of the body, thus favoring the appearance of thrombosis.
Arteriosclerosis also affects the coronary arteries, which are intended to irrigate and nourish the heart muscle, and favors the appearance of angina pectoris or myocardial infarction. On the other hand, in certain types of hyperlipoproteinemia, large deposits of cholesterol, similar to xanthomas, form on the aortic valve and around the exit orifices of the coronary arteries, which can cause a myocardial infarction in very young people.
Is this disorder hereditary?
Sometimes, the excess of cholesterol and other lipids in the blood is determined by a deficiency of certain cellular enzymes that regulate the metabolism of fats. This disorder usually has a genetic basis and, consequently, it is feasible to pass it on to descendants. Affected people have very high cholesterol levels from an early age, which causes xanthomas during childhood and increases the risk of angina pectoris or a myocardial infarction even before the age of 30.
Fortunately, this alteration is not very frequent, and, in many cases, the excess of cholesterol and the existence of xanthomas in several members of the same family is due only to an inadequate diet rich in fat. In any case, it is best to undergo a medical examination as soon as possible, since early detection of a possible metabolic disorder and the application of appropriate treatment prevent the appearance of complications.
Xanthomas appear relatively frequently in diabetic patients…
Especially in periods of decompensation and when the patient does not follow the appropriate treatment. During these periods, glucose does not get to penetrate inside the cells, and they have to resort to fats for energy.
The increased metabolism of fats causes their mobilization, as well as the formation of cholesterol and other lipids by the liverwhich considerably raises the concentrations of such elements in the blood.
The typical diabetic xanthoma appears in the form of large compact reddish plaques, with a yellow spot in the center. Such plates are distributed over the trunk, elbows, knees, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet. Its onset is usually sudden and, in general, the manifestations disappear once metabolic control is restored.
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