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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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