| Carotid
Artery Disease
Your carotid arteries are located on each side of your neck
and provide bloodflow to your brain. They can become blocked
just like the arteries in your heart or in other parts of
your body. If that happens, it could potentially lead to
a stroke.
Symptoms that you need to be aware of include dizziness,
visual disturbances, "blackout" episodes, numbness
or tingling in your face, arms, or hands, slurred speech,
or unsteady gait. If you experience any of these symptoms,
tell your doctor right away. He may need to perform tests
to determine whether you have a blockage.
Risk factors for carotid artery disease include age over
50, use of tobacco, diabetes, overweight, high blood pressure,
high cholesterol, and not exercising regularly.
Reducing your Risk
You can't do anything about your age, but you can have an
influence on the other risk factors. If you smoke, you should
stop. If you find that you cannot do it alone, High Point
Regional Health System has a simple program called QuitSmart
that can give you strategies to help you be successful.
However, the commitment begins with you. If you are overweight,
ask your doctor about seeing a nutritionist who can help
you learn about a balanced low fat diet. Starting a regular
exercise program can help you in two ways. It can help reduce
your weight and improve your circulation. If you have high
blood pressure and are taking medication for it, you should
monitor it carefully and report high trends to your doctor.
Be sure to take your medication as prescribed. If you are
diabetic, monitor your blood sugars closely and report high
trends to your doctor. It is very important to keep your
sugar levels within an appropriate range. Should you need
surgery, healing will take place faster if your sugars are
not too high.
Surgery
If your doctor examines you and determines that you do have
a significant blockage, he may send you to see a doctor
who specializes in the removal of that blockage. This is
a surgical procedure called a carotid endarterectomy. A
small 4-6 inch incision is made on the side of your neck.
The blocked artery is exposed and sometimes blood is rerouted
around the blockage by using a shunt. If your doctor feels
your blood flow on the opposite side is strong, he may not
use a shunt. The plaque is removed and the artery is closed.
After surgery, your throat will feel sore and your neck
may feel a little numb around the incision site, neither
of these lasts for very long. You can usually be out of
bed the night after surgery. Time in the hospital is only
1-2 days.
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