Carotid Stenosis, Carotid Artery Disease Causes Stroke, Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) Mini Stroke
Your carotid arteries are two huge blood vessels located on each side of your neck. They transport the blood that keeps your brain thriving. So yeah, the health of these blood moving pipes is essential to your aliveness.
Any narrowing of your carotid arteries is called carotid stenosis. And this health condition is referred to as carotid artery disease.
The usual cause for carotid stenosis is the buildup of cholesterol and other material. Typically, you won’t experience any specific symptoms as blood flow restriction of carotid artery disease slowly progresses.
However, sometimes a certain swooshing sound (bruit) can be heard via stethoscope if carotid stenosis is in the making. So, ask your health care provider to check for any detection of bruit during all of your visits.
Another key signal that you likely have carotid artery disease is a transient ischemic attack, or TIA. These are essentially mini strokes, and fortunately for you are only temporary.
The symptoms of a TIA frequently involve some combination of:
- fainting
- paralysis
- dizziness
- confusion
- weakness
- memory loss
- blurred vision
- loss of balance
- trouble speaking
- lack of sensation
- numbness, tingling
- swallowing difficulty
- temporary blindness
- sudden, severe headache
Transient ischemic attacks can last a few minutes to a couple of hours.
You always need to respond to symptoms of a mini stroke as an emergency situation because these very same symptoms may be indicative of a stroke. Yep, carotid artery blood clot blockage is one cause of a stroke.
Causes and risk factors for carotid stenosis, thus carotid artery disease, are:
- aging
- obesity
- diabetes
- smoking
- cocaine use
- hypertension
- heart disease
- kidney disease
- lack of exercise
- high cholesterol
- Marfan syndrome
- insulin resistance
- metabolic syndrome
- fibromuscular dysplasia
- excessive alcohol consumption
- family history ~ stroke, atherosclerosis
These health issues put you in peril of coronary artery disease and heart disease as well.
Treatment for slight to moderate carotid stenosis are blood thinners, such as aspirin, clopidogrel or warfarin to lower your transient ischemic attack or stroke possibility. Additionally, some measures will be taken to lower your cholesterol and control your blood pressure if that is your case.
Severe cases of carotid artery disease may require an endarterectomy to remove the plaque or carotid angioplasty to open your stenosis artery.
And a lifestyle prioritizing a healthy diet, normal body weight, exercise and lowering cholesterol levels can greatly reduce your chances of developing carotid artery disease.
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