Understanding Carotid Artery Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment Options

Carotid artery disease is a prevalent but frequently unrecognized disease affecting many individuals globally. It happens when the blood vessels that carry the bloodstream to your brain, face, and neck become strained or blocked. This is mostly a result of blockage of the carotid arteries by fatty substances, commonly referred to as plaques. This condition is also known as carotid artery occlusion. Other names for this condition include carotid artery stenosis. Like any other disease, it has its own symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment. If not treated, it leads to complications such as strokes.

What is carotid artery disease?

Bilateral carotid arteries are large blood vessels in the neck that aeries the brain with oxygenated blood. When fat deposits, or what is commonly referred to as ‘plaques’, build up within the arteries, they can constrict, which efficiently limits blood flow. This blockage of the arteries is referred to as carotid artery disease.

Finally, if plaque accumulates for many years, the carotid artery can be blocked, and blood circulation may cease to exist altogether. Sometimes, it is a small piece of plaque, or even blood clots can break off and move to the tiny arteries in the brain, which leads to a stroke.

Symptoms of carotid artery disease

A challenging factor for anyone diagnosing carotid artery disease is that most of the time, it can present without presenting any visible signs at all in the initial stages. Most people only find out they have it when they go for a general health check-up or, worse still, when they are down with a stroke.

But there are signals you should look for. These are referred to as transient ischemic attacks ( TIAs), also commonly referred to as mini strokes. They are transient and present clinical features that simulate strokes that last from a few minutes to a few hours. They might include:

• Sudden face or limb numbness or weakness, especially on one half of the body
• Speech is classified as either being spoken or written. This type of disarray is borne out of an inability to comprehend any type of speech
• Loss of vision in one eye or eyesight is another BD sign that needs to be looked at keenly
• Dizziness or loss of balance

If you or your lover develop these symptoms, you must contact your doctor. However, TIAs are temporary and may lead to a stroke and permanently damage the brain within a matter of hours.

Diagnosis of carotid artery disease

A physical examination is often conducted to diagnose carotid artery disease. Sometimes, your doctor may try to listen for an abnormal sound called a ‘bruit’ resulting from turbulent blood flow in the carotid arteries. However, further tests are often required for an accurate diagnosis, including:

Ultrasound (Carotid Doppler Ultrasound): This is a test that employs ultrasound waves in order to generate images of carotid arteries. It plays a role in defining the extent of blockages within the system.

Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA): This is another imaging test where the carotid arteries are visualized through magnetic fields and radio waves.

CT angiography (CTA): This test involves the injection of a special dye into the bloodstream and involves a CT scan so any blockages become clearly visible.

Angiogram: Carotid arteriography is an invasive process whereby a catheter is installed in the blood vessels to introduce dye and to obtain X-ray pictures of the carotid arteries.

Treatment options  

Therefore, The intention of treatment is to stop strokes by enhancing blood circulation through carotid arteries. Management varies with the extent of the obstruction and the general health of the patient.

Lifestyle changes: Trying to quit smoking, lowering blood pressure or cholesterol, and managing the sugar levels in the blood can slow down the ailment progression in patients with mild to moderate obstruction in the carotid artery. These include:

• Quitting smoking
• Avoiding overconsumption of food high in saturated fats and cholesterol.
• Regular physical exercise
• Medications: Medications may be given by doctors to treat carotid artery disease. These could include:
• Aspirin – Reducing the risk of blood clots
• Statins – Reducing blood cholesterol levels
• Antihypertensive medications

Surgical procedures: For serious cases of blockages, surgeries are the common methods used to solve the problem. The two main procedures are:

Carotid endarterectomy (CEA): This is the most preferred surgical intervention for carotid artery disease. In the process, a surgeon carries out an incision on the neck, opens part of the carotid artery and takes out the plug which has caused the blockage.

Carotid artery stenting (CAS): This involves introducing a small, TE-Nitinol expanded net tube (stent) carrying within the artery to support the lumen diameter.

Conclusion  

Carotid artery disease is a potentially fatal condition that has significant potential for leading to strokes. But if diagnosed at the right time and treated properly, one can greatly minimize the risk of a stroke. If you have factors that put you at risk or you have the symptoms, then you should seek the attention of your doctor. However, prevention through aimed alterations in lifestyle cliches remains the best model in the long run.