Blocked Carotid Arteries Symptoms

Stroke causes the third highest number of deaths in the United States annually and is a leading cause of disability among older Americans. It is nearly always the result of blocked carotid arteries.

Significance

• Oxygen-carrying blood supply is delivered to the brain by the two carotid arteries at the front of the neck. When these become blocked with fatty deposits called plaque, patients are considered to have carotid artery disease.

Symptoms

• Sometimes referred to as mini-strokes, transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) are among the most significant blocked carotid arteries symptoms. "TIAs are temporary episodes of headache, dizziness, tingling, numbness, blurred vision, confusion, or paralysis that can last anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours," according to physicians at the Texas Heart Institute.

Diagnosis

• A physician may diagnose carotid artery disease with a stethoscope by listening for a "rushing" sound called a bruit. Other tests include ultrasound imaging, magnetic resonance angiography, oculoplethysmography, or arteriography and digital subtraction angiography.

Treatment

• The typical surgical treatment to relieve the disease is called a carotid endarterectomy. "In this procedure, an incision is made in the neck and the inner, diseased layers of the artery are cut out and the outer layer is sewn back together, allowing increased blood flow to the brain," says The Cleveland Clinic

Risk Factors

• Individuals who receive insufficient exercise, smoke, have high cholesterol, high blood pressure or a family history of atherosclerosis (blockage of arteries) are at the highest risk.