Some plaque deposits are soft and are prone to cracking or forming roughened, irregular areas inside the artery. If this happens, your body will respond as if you were injured and flood the cracked and irregular areas with blood-clotting cells called platelets. A large blood clot may then form in your carotid artery or one of its branches. If the clot blocks the artery enough to slow or stop blood and oxygen flow to your brain, it could cause a stroke. More commonly, a piece of the plaque itself, or a clot, breaks off from the plaque deposit and travels through your bloodstream. This particle can then lodge in a smaller artery in your brain and cause a stroke by blocking the artery.
Carotid artery disease may not cause symptoms in its early stages. Unfortunately, the first sign of carotid artery disease could be a stroke. However, you may experience warning symptoms of a stroke called transient ischemic attacks, or TIAs. Symptoms of a TIA is often marked by a feeling of weakness on one side of your body, typically in an arm or leg, an inability to move your arm or leg and the inability to speak clearly. Occasionally, patients may also begin losing vision in one eye. These symptoms usually go away completely within 24 hours. However, you should not ignore them. Having a TIA means that you are at serious risk of a stroke in the near future. You should report TIA symptoms to your physician immediately.
If you experience any of the above symptoms for longer than a few hours, or they don't resolve within 24 hours, a stroke has probably occurred. You should contact your physician immediately.
Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, causes most cases of carotid artery disease. Risk Factors include smoking, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
In rare cases, other conditions known as carotid aneurysm disease and fibromuscular dysplasia can also cause carotid artery disease. Other factors that may increase your chances of developing carotid artery disease include diabetes and having a family history of hardening of the arteries.
Fortunately, you may be able to prevent or slow carotid artery disease. Quitting smoking is the most important change you can make to avoid this disease. Other ways to prevent carotid artery disease include eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly and controlling your diabetes if you have it.
For more information about Carotid Artery Disease, or to schedule an appointment, please call (916) 783-8114 (in Roseville) or (916) 925-9526 (in Sacramento)
