With carotid artery disease you can live for around 3 to 5 years.
However with treatment you may live longer and live 10 to 15 years or even longer.
Carotid artery disease is a serious disease as the carotid artery disease can lead to blocked blood flow to the brain which can cause a stroke and death.
Having too much plaque in your arteries can lead to a blockage and you can also have blockages when a piece of plaque or a blood clot breaks off the wall of an artery.
The most common cause of carotid artery disease is Atherosclerosis and this condition causes fatty deposits to build up along your inner layer of your arteries forming plaque.
This thickening narrows your arteries and then decreases your blood flow and or completely blocks the flow of your blood to your brain.
People who are at risk for carotid artery disease are people ages 50 to 59 as 1 percent of people between the ages of 50 to 59 have major plaque build up in their carotid arteries.
And by the time those people are 80 to 89 years of age 10 percent of those people have substantial plaque build up.
And men are at a much higher risk for carotid artery disease under the age of 75 and women are at greater risk for carotid artery disease after age 75.
Carotid artery disease is hereditary as family history of atherosclerosis is a risk factor for developing carotid artery disease.
And if you have a family member that has coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease or carotid artery disease then you're also at risk for developing these diseases as well.
Carotid artery disease is diagnosed with the use of CT scans and ultrasound imaging.
At first the doctor will most often do an ultrasound to check for Carotid artery blockages and then they will usually also do a CT scan to see a more detailed image.
Statins can reduce carotid plaque and studies have shown that statins can and have lowered the rate of carotid plaque progression and buildup.
Statins can also reduce the rate of ischemic stroke.
A blocked carotid artery is cleared using a procedure called carotid endarterectomy which is a procedure where the surgeon surgically removes plaque buildup in the carotid artery.
An incision is made on the side of the neck where the blocked carotid artery is and the artery is opened and the plaque is then removed.
The carotid artery is located on both sides of your neck.
You have a pair of carotid arteries which are a pair of blood vessels on both sides of your neck which deliver the blood to your head and brain.
The most common cause of carotid artery disease is Atherosclerosis.
The Atherosclerosis condition causes fatty deposits to build up along the inner layer of your arteries which forms plaque.
And the thickening narrows the arteries and decreases the blood flow or even completely blocks the flow of blood to your brain.
A normal carotid artery reading is 30-40 cm/sec although the velocity scale setting should be adjusted for each patient.
In healthy adults, the flow ratio between the two common carotid arteries is 1.07 ± 0.052.
A blocked carotid artery can be caused by.
Trauma to the neck.
Smoking or using recreational drugs or drinking alcohol.
Older age and high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high cholesterol.
Family history of stroke or diabetes melitus.
Eating greasy and fatty foods or too much processed foods.
The Carotid artery disease is caused by buildup of plaque in your arteries that deliver blood to your brain.
The percentage of carotid artery blockage that requires surgery is more than 70 percent.
When a carotid artery gets blocked to more than 70 percent and is narrowed more than 70 percent then surgery is needed.
The warning signs of a blocked carotid artery are.
Problems with memory, speech, reasoning and thinking.
Memory loss and confusion.
Numbness and or weakness in part of your body or on one side of the body.
Vision loss or blurred vision.
Foods that cause plaque in the carotid artery are red meat, dairy products, eggs, cheese, processed meats and foods high in choline and saturated fat.
These foods increase the number of metabolites which build plaque in the arteries.
To get rid of plaque in your neck arteries you can have a surgery called carotid endarterectomy.
The carotid endarterectomy is done by making an incision along the front of your neck which opens the carotid artery and removes the plaque.
You can also help remove plaque from your neck arteries and your other arteries by eating foods that are good for reducing plaque in the arteries.
A change in diet can reverse plaque in arteries and also cleanses out and prevent plaque buildup in the arteries.
Good foods to eat that help reverse plaque in the arteries are tomatoes, berries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, blueberries and strawberries.
Other foods that are good for reducing plaque buildup in the arteries are fish, beans, leafy greens, Cruciferous vegetables, citrus fruits, oranges and onions.
Aspirin can and does reduce plaque in the arteries as aspirin helps to thin the blood which reduces risk of blocked arteries and plaque rupture.
Taking a daily aspirin can help to reduce the risk of stroke, blood clot and heart attack.
The supplement that removes plaque from the arteries are Omega-3 fish oil supplements which also help to reduce plaque buildup in the arteries and lower your risk of stroke, heart disease, blood clots and heart attacks.
Statins do dissolve the plaque in the arteries by lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol which is known as bad cholesterol in your blood.
They help to draw out cholesterol from the plaque and stabilize the plaque.
Exercise can help to unclog arteries and remove plaque buildup in the arteries.
Daily exercise can also prevent arteries from clogging up and prevent plaque build up in the arteries as the exercise keeps your blood flowing.
Changes in your lifestyle which include stopping smoking, managing stress, exercise and eating a healthy diet can help unclog arteries and reduce the size of atherosclerotic plaques.
Plaque in your arteries is made up of deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium, and fibrin.
As the plaque in the arteries builds up, the artery walls become thickened and stiff.
Atherosclerosis is a slow, progressive disease that may start as early as childhood.
Although, it can progress rapidly.
Some ways to get rid of the plaque in your arteries are.
Angioplasty. Angioplasty, also called percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or PTCA, involves inserting a long flexible tube called a catheter into a blood vessel through a small incision in your skin.
Coronary Artery Bypass Graft.
Coronary Stent.
Rotational Atherectomy.
Vitamin B3 as well as Niacin helps to remove plaque from your arteries.
Niacin, or Vitamin B3, is the best agent known to raise blood levels of HDL, which helps remove cholesterol deposits from the artery walls.
HDL is like a vacuum cleaner for cholesterol in the body.
When it's at healthy levels in your blood, it removes extra cholesterol and plaque buildup in your arteries and then sends it to your liver.
Your liver expels it from your body. Ultimately, this helps reduce your risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
Taking aspirin daily can help reduce the plaque in your arteries and can also prevent blood clots by thinning out your blood.