How can surgery (carotid endarterectomy) help?
As we age, our arteries become stiffer and narrower, due to what is called atherosclerosis. There are many reasons why atherosclerosis develops, and positive changes in lifestyle can slow it down enormously. However, if it occurs in the carotid arteries, which supply the brain, the narrowing that arises increases the risk of a stroke. This narrowing is called carotid stenosis, and it can be measured quite easily. Sometimes the narrowing of the carotid artery causes symptoms that resemble those of a stroke, but are temporary, lasting only a few minutes. This is known as a transient ischemic attack – or TIA – which is really a mini-stroke. The symptoms are: • Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body • Sudden difficulty seeing with one eye or both • Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination • Sudden severe headache with no known cause If someone has had TIA symptom
