Carotid artery stenosis

Carotid artery stenosis is a disease that is accompanied by a narrowing of the lumen of two main vessels that supply blood to the brain. The development of this disease is facilitated by such risk factors as an unhealthy lifestyle, high cholesterol, smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes. The cause of narrowing of the carotid arteries in this disease is an atherosclerotic plaque that forms on the inner wall of the vessel due to the deposition of cholesterol and other fatty substances. In some cases, this leads to complete blockage (occlusion) of the artery and the development of the most serious complication - ischemic stroke.

Symptoms

Most often, Carotid artery stenosis in the early stages does not manifest itself with any distinct complaints. A person may not know about the presence of this pathology until he suffers a transient ischemic attack or stroke. A transient ischemic attack is the same acute cerebrovascular accident as a stroke, but it lasts less than one hour, and subsequently the impaired functions are restored on their own.