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Carotid arteries are those arteries in the neck which
carry blood to the brain. Stenosis refers to the narrowing of some body
structure, so basically carotid artery stenosis is the state when there
occurs narrowing of the carotid artery. The narrowing occurs because of
plaque in the blood vessel, which in turn is caused by accumulation of
fats, cholesterol in the inner lining of the the artery. Carotid artery
stenosis is also referred to as carotid artery disease. We also have an
interesting fact to state that people who get strokes due to carotid
artery stenosis receive a warning in the form of transient ischemic
attack. It is a condition where there is temporary loss or impairment
of speaking ability. Generally a patient recovers in about 24 hours
after the condition.
Regarding the symptoms, we hereby mention 4 of the potent ones -
1. TIA or transient aschemic attacks
2. Strokes
3. RIND or Reversible ischemic neurological deficit
4. Amaurosis fugax or Temporary loss of vision or graying out of vision in one eye
Diagnosis of carotid artery stenosis can be done
through a variety of methods. Some of the most popular ones are Doppler
Ultrasound, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Magnetic Resonance
Angiography (MRA), Computer Tomography (CT) Angiogram, Cerebral
Angiogram, Oculoplethysmography.
Now let us come to the treatment options available, most doctors prefer
that repair of the artery that got damaged should be done if it gets
narrowed by 60 %. But before doing any kind of surgery the patient
should be both mentally and physically prepared to handle the situation
and also you should always take advice from a trusted and experienced
doctor. Most importantly the treatment of carotid artery stenosis
depends on the severity of your condition. In patients whose narrowing
of the artery is more than 70% Carotid Endarterectomy a type of
surgery where the plaque is surgically removed had given good results.
Those patients whose narrowing of the artery is less than 50% doctors
generally suggest for anti-clotting medicines.
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