What does the carotid artery do ?
The carotid artery carries blood from the heart to part of the brain. There are 2 carotid arteries, one on each side of the neck. At the level of jaw these arteries divide into 2 branches – the internal and external carotid arteries. It is the internal carotid artery that supplies blood to the brain and the eye. The external carotid artery supplies the face, nose, mouth and upper neck. What problems can arise from atheroma in this artery ? Various risk factors (including smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes) contribute to cause damage to the inner lining of the artery. Over time, fat accumulates in the muscle cells of the artery eventually leading to the formation of an ‘atheroma plaque’ (commonly called ‘furring up’ or ‘hardening’ of the artery). The outer surface of this plaque is hard and contains calcium. The inner core is soft and like porridge. If the outer shell cracks, some of the ‘porridge’ may dislodge and travel to the brain (causing a stroke or ‘mini-
