Off The Record
Symptoms And Early Warning Signs Of A Clogged Arteries
The blood flow to various parts of your body may be interrupted by clogged arteries. The signs and symptoms are determined by the location of the occlusion, or blockage.
Every cell in your body receives oxygen-rich, nutrient-rich blood through arteries. Your symptoms may vary in intensity if this supply is interrupted for any reason. While certain organs and tissues can survive a brief reduction in blood flow and recover, others perish.
This page discusses some of the most common types of blocked arteries, their causes, and potential symptoms. If you have clogged arteries, it also discusses the testing and treatments you might anticipate.
What are the early signs and symptoms of a clogged artery?
When you think about clogged arteries, the heart likely comes to mind first, and with good reason.
The most prevalent type of cardiac disease in the US is coronary artery disease (CAD). It arises from the gradual narrowing or blockage of the arteries that carry blood to your heart. Plaques, a deposit of fat, are frequently the source of these obstructions.
Pieces of the plaques may break off and become lodged in other parts of your blood arteries, or the plaques may enlarge to the point where blood cannot pass through them.
A stroke is another prevalent form of arterial blockage. An ischemic stroke is brought on by a blockage that resembles those that can arise in CAD but occurs in a blood vessel that provides oxygen and blood to the brain.
Seconds matter in both ischemic stroke and coronary artery disease. Without oxygen, the tissues in your brain and heart can rapidly die off, causing irreversible harm. While a stroke can result in neurological symptoms, a heart attack is often caused by a blockage in your coronary arteries.
Symptoms of a clogged coronary artery
A blocked coronary artery can cause the following symptoms:
- chest pain that radiates into your neck, jaw, arm, or back
- sweating
- shortness of breath
- dizziness
- syncope (sudden loss of consciousness)
- Symptoms of a clogged cerebral artery
Symptoms of a clog in your cerebral arteries may include:
- facial drooping
- slurred speech
- balance problems
- vision changes
- loss of consciousness
The specific region of the brain where blood flow has been interrupted determines the symptoms of a stroke. It is impossible to restore function in those tissues after harm has occurred.
Likewise, obstructed arteries in other parts of the body will cause localized symptoms. For instance, a retinal artery blockage may result in abnormalities to your eyesight, whereas a peripheral artery blockage may cause swelling in your legs and feet.
Blood is transported by arteries to all of your body’s tissues and organs. Talk to a healthcare provider right away if you experience any symptoms that impair or diminish function in any part of your body.
nusual symptoms that might pop up include:
- changes in skin color
- changes in urination
- back pain
- cold hands or feet
- erectile dysfunction
Some signs that need to be treated right away include shortness of breath, chest pain, and unconsciousness.
What causes clogged arteries, and who’s at risk?
One of the main risk factors for clogged arteries is high cholesterol.
A type of fat called cholesterol can accumulate on the walls of your veins and arteries and circulates in your blood. The amount of room for blood to flow through your blood vessels gets less when cholesterol and other materials accumulate on their walls. Your arteries or veins may eventually become totally clogged.
High cholesterol and cardiovascular disorders are mostly influenced by genetics and family history.
Your chance of having a clogged artery may also be increased by certain additional variables. Among the examples are:
- smoking
- eating a high fat or high cholesterol diet
- living a sedentary lifestyle
- not getting regular exercise
- having overweight or obesity
How do doctors test for clogged arteries?
You cannot use measurement equipment to check for clogged arteries at home. Monitoring your blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation can reveal signs of cardiovascular issues. However, artery obstructions in various parts of your body might also cause changes in your vision or urinary patterns.
Your doctor may carry out the following tests to look for or validate an arterial blockage diagnosis:
- electrocardiogram (ECG)
- echocardiogram
- exercise test
- cardiac stress test
- cardiac catheterization
- angiogram
- coronary artery calcium scan
- blood tests to check cholesterol and other cardiac measures
Together with other data like blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and heart rate, these tests can provide your healthcare team with important information about how well your heart is functioning and if enough blood is getting to the body’s farther-flung tissues.
How are clogged arteries treated?
The following determines how blocked arteries are treated:
- what caused the blockage
- what symptoms you’re having
- how severe the problem is
Your doctor can recommend a mix of medicine and lifestyle changes if they are aware of your high cholesterol or blocked or hardened arteries. These recommendations will concentrate on improving the general health and strength of your heart and decreasing vascular accumulation.
Advanced disease or blockage
More intrusive treatments are typically required if your arteries have been completely blocked, resulting in a heart attack, stroke, or other severe ailment.
To assist in clearing blocked arteries, doctors might employ a few minimally invasive procedures. A catheter is typically inserted through arteries in your arm or groin for these procedures.
Catheters
To help provide medication or manually remove the obstruction at its source, medical experts insert tiny instruments via these catheters. Percutaneous coronary intervention, the most used method in this category, is used to treat certain kinds of heart attacks.
Depending on the area of your body that is impacted, several techniques may be used, but the objective is to remove the obstruction using either small instruments or drugs that thin your blood.
Stents
To keep the blood vessel open, medical practitioners may insert devices known as stents in the clot’s location. You might have to take blood thinners for a while or possibly forever after getting a stent in order to stop new clots from forming. This process could be referred to as angioplasty.
Removal of blocked sections
You can occasionally want an open procedure that entails clearing clogged blood vessel segments. Medical personnel will either rejoin your blood vessels in new locations or replace them with fragments from other parts of your body. This procedure is known as a coronary artery bypass graft or heart bypass.
Takeaway
Your body uses arteries to transport oxygen, nutrients, and blood. Tissue injury can result from any interruption of blood flow in your arteries. Even a brief interruption of blood flow to the heart or brain can have deadly consequences.
Discuss your risks for coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, and other disorders that can completely obstruct vital blood flow with a medical specialist.
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