Right carotid artery disease, also known as "right-sided" carotid artery disease, is a condition in which plaque builds up along the arterial walls and begins to narrow or block the flow of blood within the right carotid artery system of the neck. Over time, this condition can deprive the brain of blood, which inevitably deprives it of oxygen. While this narrowing usually takes time to form, carotid artery disease can be extremely problematic, as it can lead to a stroke and even brain damage.
Symptoms
At the very onset of right-sided carotid artery disease, a person will usually display no symptoms. It isn't until the arterial wall has narrowed significantly that any symptoms will present themselves. Because the disease is affecting the right carotid artery system, the symptoms will normally be noticed on the left side of the body. This would include numbness or weakness within the left arm, left leg or left side of the face. The left side of the mouth and tongue may also be affected, causing a garbled or slurred speech. A person may even experience sudden blindness in the left eye. And in fairly severe cases, the individual might suffer paralysis to the left side of the body.
Considerations
While almost anyone can eventually develop right-sided carotid artery disease, certain factors play a definite role in its advancement. For some people, it will be their overall health that prompts the formation of the disease. For others, it will be a combination of age and genetics. Both obesity and diabetes can be a recipe for this arterial blockage. Certain habits, like smoking and sedentary lifestyles, can take a toll on your arteries. Even high blood pressure, which often causes coronary artery disease, can affect the health of your carotid arteries. As you pile on factor on top of factor, you become more vulnerable to developing this condition.
Stroke
When it comes to any type of carotid artery disease, the most significant event that can happen to you is a stroke. All it takes, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a piece of plaque to break away from a blockage and move into a smaller artery. Once there, it can become lodged and completely cut off blood to a portion of the brain. If this were to happen, you'd have a stroke.
Treatment
For the most part, treatment of this disease will be the same as for any carotid artery disease. First, you will usually need to make some changes to your lifestyle, like dieting, exercising, losing weight and quitting smoking. From there, your doctor may recommend a blood thinner of some sort or an ACE-inhibitor, which is often used for hypertension. If the blockage is severe, you may need to go through surgery to clear out the plaque and be fitted with a stent to ensure proper blood flow.
Prevention/Solution
If you're looking to prevent any sort of carotid artery disease, you should do virtually the same things that you would to avoid hypertension and coronary artery disease. Limit the amount of fat, sodium and cholesterol in your diet while increasing healthy foods, like fruits, vegetables and whole-grains. Keep yourself active with exercise, and keep those excess pounds off. And if you don't smoke, don't start. It's an artery-clogging habit.
Tags: carotid artery, artery disease, carotid artery disease, artery disease, left side