Living with Carotid Artery Stenosis
The carotid artery is the main veins located at the neck area that supplies the much-needed blood supply to our brain. Carotid artery stenosis then, is the condition where in that very artery narrows. This condition is also sometimes referred to as the carotid artery disease and it is a risk factor for the occurrence of ischemic stroke in diagnosed patients. Ischemic stroke is the most typical kind of stroke, and it is caused by a specific blood clot in one’s arteries.
More often than not, the carotid artery narrows because of plaque or the buildup of fats inside the blood vessels. Plaques are the byproducts of the excess cholesterol in the blood. They accumulate within the linings of the arteries, which is a condition referred to as atherosclerosis.
To diagnose carotid artery stenosis, doctors may use the ultrasound technology. In most cases, they would hear abnormal sounds as they listen to the beats of the artery with their stethoscopes. And to be more certain, doctors employ ultrasonography, and they usually place the probe on the part of the neck that is very near the area where the carotid artery lies.
Treating carotid artery stenosis mainly depends on the severity of the patient’s case. But usually, surgery is carried out to cure the disease. The surgery performed is termed as carotid endarterectomy. The procedure is performed by surgically removing the plaque or the build up that is causing the narrowing of the artery.
The surgery, or more particularly carotid endarterectomy, is performed only on patients whose arteries have narrowed by as much as 70% or higher. But for those whose narrowing is 50% or less, medications are being prescribed as the first line of medication. Doctors recommend medicines that will further soften the blood so as to reduce clotting. These drugs are called anti-clotting medicines and they help reduce the occurrence of ischmetic stroke.
Carotid artery stenosis often goes undetected for sometime because it may be asymptomatic, meaning there are no symptoms showing at all on some affected individuals. But for those who are showing it, the same signs of stroke are observed. One’s vision becomes blurred and could eventually be lost. They would also feel physically weak, as total or partial paralysis may set in. Neurological signs like speech difficulties may also arise.
Carotid artery stenosis may be caused by hypercholesterolemia, or simply having too much cholesterol in the blood. As we all know, too much cholesterol is never good for the heart as it may deter its otherwise smooth and normal functions. Other diseases such as chronic hypertension and even diabetes mellitus are also believed to be possible causes of this disease.
Carotid artery stenosis can be prevented, as with any other disease. People who are more prone to this disease should be more cautious of the food that they eat. They should always maintain a diet that is low in cholesterol but high in nutrition. Instead, they should be eating foods that dissolve the body’s bad cholesterol. Doctors may even recommend taking nutritional supplements that could help in the process.
It is also important that the blood pressure of a person susceptible to carotid artery stenosis be monitored and controlled at all times. As always, smoking and alcohol consumption should be reduced, if not discontinued altogether. And if the condition arouse from another underlying disease, like that of diabetes, it should also be controlled and treated accordingly.
It is a fact that carotid artery stenosis may pave the way for a much worse heart condition. It is a then must, that when this disease is positively diagnosed in patients, they should be evaluated for coronary heart disease as well. This is necessary so that the onset of other diseases would be controlled, if and when it really cannot be prevented at all.
