The difference between jugular and carotid is the carotid artery carries blood that is oxygenated from your heart to your head.
And your jugular vein carries blood that is deoxygenated from your head to your heart.
Both the jugular vein and the carotid artery are located in your neck and run alongside each other.
Your Jugular vein is located in your neck and beneath your sternocleidomastoid muscle and is more superficial and vulnerable to injury than your carotid artery.
Your right internal jugular vein is also often used for IV lines because it is straighter than the left.
Your carotid artery is also located in the neck with a pair on each side and and is a high pressure blood vessel that is more critical for cerebral circulation than the jugular vein is.
The carotid sheath is also an anatomical landmark which also contains the carotid artery, jugular vein, vagus nerve and the sympathetic plexus.
You can live without one jugular vein and sometimes people are born without an internal jugular vein although it's rare.
Being born without an internal jugular vein is an asymptomatic vascular abnormality which is often discovered during imaging or surgery.
If a surgeon removes or closes off an internal jugular vein it's also possible to live with no long term effects.
In some cases a surgeon may need to remove a jugular vein in which they use to create a bypass for a blocked blood vessel in the heart.
The function of the jugular vein is to carry blood that is deoxygenated from your brain, face and your neck and back to your heart by draining blood from these areas.
This makes the jugular vein crucial for returning the blood from your head region to your circulatory system and most specifically your internal jugular vein is the primary vessel that is responsible for this function.
The jugular vein basically collects blood from your brain, skull and superficial parts of your face and the majority of your neck.
And the tributaries of your internal jugular also include your facial, inferior petrosal sinus, lingual, pharyngeal, superior and your middle thyroid and sometimes your occipital vein.
If the jugular vein is damaged it can cause significant bleeding because of it's superficial location in your neck.
If the jugular vein is damaged and leads to significant bleeding it can cause a life threatening situation and lead to death if not treated promptly.
Damage to the jugular vein can also result in air embolism which is when air enters your bloodstream and can cause neck pain, swelling, dizziness and difficulty swallowing depending on how severe the injury is and the area affected.
If you think you have damaged your jugular vein or have jugular vein distention or have symptoms of low blood pressure such as passing out or dizziness you should go to the ER.
You can check your neck for jugular vein by laying down with your head elevated at a 30 to 45 degree angle.
Then turn your head slightly to the side and look for a visible and pulsating vein that runs alongside your neck and it's most easily seen just above your collarbone.
If the jugular vein seems significantly bulging or distended it can indicate that there is a possible issue with your blood pressure or heart or cardiovascular system and you should see a doctor.
Your neck contains 2 jugular veins with one jugular vein on the right side of the neck and another jugular vein on the left side of your neck.
Your right jugular vein is often slightly bigger than the left jugular vein.
The right jugular vein is located at the root of your neck and slightly away from your common carotid artery.
Your right jugular vein also has a more direct route to your heart than your left jugular vein.
The left jugular vein often overlaps your common carotid artery and generally is smaller than the right jugular vein.
You also have anterior jugular veins which are the smallest jugular veins.
The anterior jugular veins are located on the front of your neck and just on either side of your windpipe.
When you have a vein that sticks out on the left side of your neck it means you have jugular vein distention which is when a large jugular vein in your neck bulges visibly.
When the jugular vein distention happens continuously then it's often a sign of serious or even life threatening heart problems and circulatory problems.
There are also carotid arteries on both sides of your neck and one carotid artery is on the right side of the neck and the other carotid artery is on the left side of the neck.
The carotid arteries are the main blood vessels which supply blood to your neck, face and brain.
And the right carotid artery originates from your brachiocephalic artery and the left common carotid artery originates from the aortic arch.
the common carotid arteries also split into your carotid artery and the external carotid artery at the carotid sinus in the neck.