St. Anthony's Heart Fair
Carotid Artery Disease
Carotid artery disease, also called carotid artery stenosis, is the narrowing of the carotid arteries. These are the main arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain. Carotid artery disease is a major risk factor for ischemic stroke. (This is the most common form of stroke and is usually caused by a blood clot plugging an artery.)
Risk Factors:
- Age
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- Stroke
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Sedentary lifestyle
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Read Our Frequently Asked Questions.
Symptoms:
You may not have any symptoms. There are usually no warning signs until you have a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or a stroke.
Signs of a stroke may include:
- Sudden loss of vision or blurred vision
- Weakness, tingling, or numbness on one side of the face or body, or in one arm or leg
- Sudden difficulty in walking, loss of balance, lack of coordination
- Sudden dizziness/confusion
- Difficulty speaking (aphasia)
- Sudden severe headache
- Difficulty swallowing (dysphasia)
With a TIA, also known as a mini-stroke, you may have the same above symptoms but the symptoms only last a few minutes or hours and then resolve.
A carotid ultrasound is a noninvasive, painless screening test for Carotid Artery Disease. This test uses high-frequency sound waves to view the carotid arteries located in the neck. It looks for plaque and determines whether the arteries are narrowed or blocked.
Other Info:
Stat Heart Program
Stress Tests
Cardiac Catheterization
Heart Scan