What is the carotid artery plaque?
Carotid arteries are two main arteries, one on each side of the neck that adds blood to the brain. For a certain period of time, a material called plaque can accumulate on the inside of the walls of these arteries, causing the opening to narrow. Plaque consists of cholesterol, calcium and fibrous tissue along with other blood ingredients. This narrowing is referred to as carotid artery stenosis and is considered to be partial blocking of the brain blood supply. Blocking caused by the accumulation of carotid artery plaque can lead to stroke. The first sign that can alert the patient and a doctor of a serious problem in this area is a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or mini stroke. A sign of TIA is a sudden loss of feeling or weakness of the face, arm or leg, usually affecting one side of the body. Other symptoms include rude speech or sudden blindness in one eye. Anyone to make these stroke signs to go to the emergency room for rapid medical intervention.
The main cause of concerns about the accumulation of carotid artery plaque is the risk of stroke, which can result from three different scenarios. The arteries can be so narrow that parts of the brain do not get enough blood supply. Another problem is that part of the plaque can tear off and clog one of the smaller arteries in the brain, which completely prevents blood supply to this area. The third way to make a stroke is to make a blood clot around a crack in a plaque that can completely block blood flow.
If the carotid artery plaque is mild to medium, modifications and lifestyle drugs can prevent stroke. Patients are recommended to stop smoking, lose weight and engage in a regular exercise program. Catering is recommended by a healthy diet, part of which includes sodium limitation. It is important to solve chronic problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes. Drugs aspirin or blood that can be prescribed to prevent the creationthe clots.
In serious cases, the accumulation of carotid artery plaque may be necessary to restore blood flow for other medical procedures. Carotid endarterectomy is the most commonly used intervention method for such instances. It includes surgical plaque removal in a closed artery. Another option is carotid angioplasty and stenting. This procedure includes the insertion of the network device into the artery to prevent it from narrowing.