Carotid artery disease is the buildup of fatty deposits (called plaque) on the inner walls of your carotid arteries, two of the main blood vessels that carry blood and oxygen to your brain. The plaque can cause your carotid arteries to become narrow, known as carotid artery stenosis, or become completely blocked, known as carotid artery occlusion. Small bits of unstable plaque can also break off and travel to the brain, causing stroke.
Carotid disease develops over time, and many people don’t know they have it. It might be discovered during testing for a separate medical condition, and you may not have any clinical symptoms at all. In that case, it’s important to monitor risk factors -- including family history of carotid artery disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and tobacco use -- and to seek treatment immediately if you experience sudden symptoms like numbness or weakness, trouble speaking or understanding, vision loss, dizziness or balance problems, or severe unexplained headache.
In other cases, carotid disease may go undiagnosed until it causes a stroke or TIA (transient ischemic attack, or mini-stroke); both require emergency care.
